The Goose Girl: A Teen Titans Fairy Tale
by watchoutforfallingdinosaurs
Summary: AU. A re-imagining of the Grimm Brother's Tale "The Goose Girl" starring our favorite Titans. Princess Raven of Azarath has been offered the hand of a prince in a faraway kingdom, but while traveling, she is betrayed by her longtime companion.
1. Chapter 1: The Proposal

I've seen a lot of fairy-tale AUs, but I've never seen anyone do an adaptation of "The Goose Girl", which is one of my absolute favorite fairy-tales. For those unfamiliar with the story, you can get a synopsis of what it's about by searching for "The Goose Girl" on Wikipedia. I will be taking a lot of liberties with the original fairy-tale, so don't be surprised if it doesn't follow the original! I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: The Titans ain't mine. Never were, never will be.

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Proposal**

Queen Arella raised an eyebrow at the red-headed messenger. "A marriage proposal?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The messenger gave the queen an unexpectedly wide grin. "In an effort to ally our two kingdoms, Prince Malchior of Nol has asked for the hand of your princess."

"Forgive my suspicion, but we...well, we have never had such an offer before."

The messenger was almost smirking. Queen Arella wondered if all of the messengers from Nol were this impudent. "It's natural that you'd be curious. Prince Malchior has nothing but the best of intentions with regards to Princess Raven. He will care for her well."

"Even in her current...condition?"

Her tone gave the messenger boy pause, but he continued. "Always."

The queen was unsure of how to proceed. Her daughter was not exactly safe to be around, and she felt uncomfortable allowing the royal family of another kingdom to become part of their twisted destiny. Then again, with her demonic former husband looming outside of the kingdom, possibly waiting to strike, the idea of an alliance with another magical family sounded incredibly appealing. "Pardon me, Sir..."

"Wallace, but I prefer to go by Wally." There was that grin again. This time, Arella chose to ignore it.

"Sir _Wallace. _I feel it would not be wise to hurry my daughter into such a relationship so quickly. She is...delicate. Might we arrange a more suitable agreement?"

Wally sighed. "The royal family of Nol has anticipated this type of response. I have been instructed to offer you the following alternative: Princess Raven can come to the kingdom of Nol and stay within our castle walls in order to meet with Prince Malchior. If the two appear to be compatible, then the offer of marriage will be re-opened. Will this do?"

Arella considered her options briefly in her head. It would be unwise to reject such a proposal, particularly because there was no obligation involved if something went awry. The queen was weak, alone, and vulnerable, especially with Trigon the Terrible on the loose beyond Azarath's borders, and an alliance with a kingdom as powerful as Nol would surely keep Arella, Raven, and their people safe. But was it right to put them in this kind of danger? And Raven...what would Raven think about this? _She'll hate the idea. And me, _thought Arella. _Raven's opinion on the matter is just about the only thing I can be sure of. _But Arella had to think of Azarath first, and frankly, her people were not terribly fond of her daughter...

_Raven will be safer with them._ "I accept the generous offer of the royal family of Nol. We shall send Princess Raven on her way in three days' time."

Wally's face brightened, and he sank into a deep bow. "Of course, Your Majesty. The kingdom of Nol eagerly awaits the arrival of Her Royal Highness."

Arella raised a hand to thank the messenger, but he was already out the door. _Quite fast for one his age. Perhaps an enchantment? _His absence, however, meant that she had a job to do. She looked forlornly up at the staircase which she knew led to her daughter's tower. Heaving a sigh, Arella looked over and saw that one of her daughter's ladies-in-waiting had wandered into the throne room.

"Tara?"

Arella's question was met with an inquisitive pair of bright blue eyes. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"If you would kindly bring the Princess to me, I would greatly appreciate it. Tell her that her mother has news for her."

Tara swept a lock of blonde hair out of her face and smiled respectfully. "Of course, Your Majesty."

As Tara ascended the spiral stairs to Raven's room, Arella massaged her temples. This was not going to go over well.

* * *

Upstairs in her room, Princess Raven of Azarath sat with her legs folded, floating a few inches from the floor and focusing intently on the sound of her own breathing. This was how she had spent most of her time since she was a little girl; it was the only way that she had found to control her emotions, and thereby protect her own people. Just another hour, and the people of Azarath could be safe for another day.

"Raven? Raven, it's Tara. Can I come in?"

Raven was jolted out of her concentration and dropped to the floor like a bag of rocks. Rubbing her tailbone, she called, "Yes, Tara."

The door to her dimly lit room opened and Tara crossed the threshold slowly. Though she and the princess had been together for quite some time, Tara knew that the princess greatly valued her personal space. "Your mother has news for you, Raven."

The princess's violet eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "News? What kind of news could she have for me?"

"I dunno. It seemed important from the way she looked." Taking Raven's lack of anger as an invitation, Tara sat down on the floor beside her. "Are you nervous?"

Raven didn't look at Tara, but instead stared out her window. "I don't get nervous."

Not two seconds after the words had come out of her mouth, Tara noticed that a glass bottle was wobbling on the edge of her dresser. Choosing not to point this out to Raven, she merely gave her a knowing smile and said, "Maybe it's nothing. It didn't seem like bad news, at least."

"There's no way it's good news if she didn't come up to tell me herself."

_Good point_, thought Tara. "Well, I'm sure it'll be okay. Let's just go down and see what she wants."

Raven rolled her eyes, but begrudgingly stood up. "I'd rather not, but if Mother's calling..." She began her descent down toward the throne room.

Tara bit back a comment about Raven's attitude and followed her down the stairs. Unfortunately for the kingdom, barely shielded annoyance didn't seem to be an emotion that set off the princess's powers. What was Raven's problem? Even with her curse, being a princess seemed like a pretty good deal to Tara. Better than tending to an ungrateful princess, anyway.

As the two girls walked into the throne room, Queen Arella stood, greeting her daughter cordially, if not somewhat impersonally, with a quick kiss on the forehead. "Hello, Mother," said Raven in a slow monotone.

"My child...Raven..." Arella, dropping all pretense, sighed. "A messenger came to me from the kingdom of Nol this afternoon...You have been offered Prince Malchior's hand in marriage, and I have approved for you to travel to the kingdom to meet with him."

There was silence. Tara's eyes widened and she glanced from Arella to Raven rapidly. Raven's face was entirely impassive. _I can't believe it. Is she actually okay with this?_ Tara thought to herself incredulously.

A series of loud crashes from the kitchen, the sound of shattering plates, and the shrieks of a disgruntled cook told her otherwise.

* * *

What do you think? Would you like to see more? Reviews would be greatly appreciated, though I won't throw myself off a cliff if you don't review. And don't worry...we'll be meeting the rest of the team soon enough!


	2. Chapter 2: Difficult Decisions

So...I was planning to write more even if people didn't tell me that they wanted more, but thankfully, it appears you do want more! yays!

Thank you to those who reviewed both this story and my first ever story, Good Talk, which can be found on my profile. And nowwwww...it's mailtime!

**katland rose: **First reviewer and full of enthusiasm! MMMOOOOOOOOORRRREEEEEEEE is coming :D

**Iris the Fox Girl: **There is nothing that frustrates me more than cliffhangers. But, I am evil, and I like writing them. Hyocritical, yes, but also fun. Don't hate me. I'm glad you like it so far!

**Anna: **I'm glad you think so! I hope I continue to keep your interest.

Without any further distractions...I give you Chapter 2!

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**Chapter 2: Difficult Decisions**

"You...did..._what_?!"

Tara had to hand it to Raven; she was keeping her composure much better than she had expected, even with the minor "eruption" that had sent cooks running left and right. Raven's powers conveyed her emotional state, but based on her body language, Raven looked little more than slightly disappointed. Her lip had twitched a little at the mention of a marriage proposal, and Tara had seen a flash of something blood red in Raven's eyes when Arella had told her she was being sent away, but otherwise, no one would have suspected that the news had shaken Raven to her very core.

"You will be escorted to the kingdom of Nol, completely incognito, in three days." Arella's conscious decision not to repeat the purpose of the trip was not lost on either Raven or Tara. "If all goes smoothly, then the proposal will be re-opened for discussion."

Raven's fingers crackled with a shadowy energy, which made Tara cringe. The princess's curse had always scared her a little, although she had been Raven's servant and confidant for several years now. "And what if it doesn't go smoothly?"

Arella became suddenly stern, but the ghost of a smile could be seen on her lips. "Don't get any ideas. They have magic as well, and they'll know if you're acting up on purpose."

The darkness receded from Raven's fingertips as she processed this information. Involuntarily, Tara relaxed her shoulders and her former stiffness was replaced with a more calm demeanor. _She really is taking this unusually well. Maybe the meditation is working better now? _But the cogs were still working in Raven's brain, and she glanced back up at her mother. "You know that I'm...not safe to be around. Why would you knowingly involve another family, let alone another _kingdom, _in our affairs?" Realization quickly spread across her face as Arella's eyes darted to the door. "You think Azarath would be safer with me gone. You're going to save the kingdom by getting rid of your daughter."

Arella shook her head, but could not meet her daughter's eyes. "A queen must make difficult decisions in order to protect her people. Trigon could come for you at any time, and despite the protections at our borders, Azarath does not have the strength to keep him away. But a kingdom with a magical history as powerful as Nol...it would be a grave error to not even consider their offer."

"So you hope to enlist them as allies of Azarath, and you will do it by, essentially, selling me as collateral." Raven shot her mother the deadliest glare that Tara had ever seen. "You do realize that he will come for you anyway? Whether I'm here or not?"

Arella hesitated, raised her eyes, and violet met violet. "I do."

Tara was so shocked that she nearly fell over where she stood; Raven's pupils dilated as she sought for a full answer from her mother.

"I am doomed no matter what action I take. Such is my destiny. But you...Raven, if I can save you, even if it means losing you forever..." She stood a little taller, summoning all of her might as queen. "I have made my decision, and it is final."

Raven could feel her head spinning from the repression of her screams, tears, and feelings of guilt and anguish, but gripping Tara's shoulder kept her just a little more grounded. "Very well, Mother. I will go make preparations." She turned back to the staircase that would take her away, away from her mother's guilt and sorrow and fear, the emotions rolling off of her like waves and crashing into Raven's psyche as though it were a cliffside, threatening to break her focus. Arella's emotions were so intense that she didn't notice the revulsion, fear, and oddly enough, curiosity radiating from Tara as she led Raven to her tower.

* * *

It was all Tara could do to keep Raven from collapsing onto the floor in a broken heap. _A girl this damaged isn't fit to be royalty, _she thought bitterly, setting Raven down on the bed. _And her attitude! She's about to bag herself a prince with power she's never dreamed of, and here she is moping about it. She's fortunate anyone wants her, with a curse like hers. If I were in her shoes..._This thought made Tara ashamed of her former musings about the princess; disappointed in herself, she pushed her jealousy out of her mind.

Tara waited patiently for her mistress to recover, as any good lady-in-waiting was supposed to do. Finally, running a pale gray hand through vividly purple hair, Raven managed to croak, "I can't do this."

"You can, and you will."

Raven lifted her eyes to the ceiling, allowing a hint of frustration to seep through and groaning at the subsequent crack in her mirror. "I can't just enter into a kingdom of innocent people with this curse hanging over my head. I've already done that once, and look at what it's done."

The shame Tara had felt before intensified. "Raven, it's...not your fault. We've all gotten used to it, and we've lived. They will, too."

Something in Raven seemed to change, soften. With her trademark stubbornness, Raven looked away from her servant. "I know that I'm probably not your favorite person in the world, but I can't go alone."

Tara blinked. "Of course you can't, Princess. You could be hurt."

"That's not what I mean." Raven stared a little bit too intensely at her hands. "I mean, my travel companion...Tara, you are..." Her voice dropped so low that Tara was straining to hear it. "You're the closest thing I have to a friend. If Mother approves, I want you to accompany me to Nol."

An odd, negative-feeling emotion swept over Raven, accompanied by a stiffness in Tara's body. _She doesn't want to go, _thought Raven. But the emotion left just as quickly as it came, now replaced by something warmer, happier, and the princess was able to relax.

"It would be my honor, Princess Raven."

* * *

That night, as Raven tossed and turned through an uncomfortable sleep, full of nightmares of destruction and rejection, Tara lay wide awake. Unbidden into Tara's mind came visions of herself and Princess Raven travelling to Nol, but _she _was the one in the finery, _she _was greeted with fanfare at the castle walls, _she _won the heart of a mysterious, faceless prince and _her _wedding was celebrated across the land. Every time she tried to send the thoughts away, they came back stronger than ever, beckoning her, calling Tara to act. Raven wasn't right to be a princess; her demeanor, her appearance, her curse, and her dark heritage were all wrong. Tara was respectful, beautiful, obedient...and yet it was she who seemed to lived in the shadows. Forgotten. Unremarkable. Normal. _That's what Raven wants to be, anyway, _Tara thought darkly, _and shadows definitely suit her._

Maybe now was the time to give Raven exactly what she had always wanted.

* * *

Yay pretty dividing lines! Sorry the first chapter isn't as pretty; I'm still learning how stuff works on this site. I'm going back to replace it with a cleaner format tonight. Looking ahead to the next chapter, we will be meeting the rest of the team! Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy will all be taking center stage, as well as other fun Titans. Only a couple more chapters until allllllll the pieces can come together!

Side note: I have read a lot of fanfiction on this site. Like, a lot. So much that if I accidentally borrowed an idea, I probably wouldn't even recognize it myself. So, if you see something that looks ridiculously suspiciously like the work of some other writer, please let me know so I can remedy it and/or give credit where credit is due. Thanks, and until the next chapter! :)


	3. Chapter 3: Preparations

Oh boy! So much more love than I was expecting. Thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites! They are much appreciated. wooooooooo

Here's the mail, it never fails, makes me want to...write some more? When it comes I wanna wail MAAAAAILLLLLL!

**Raining Purple Hearts: **You are too sweet! I will definitely be continuing the story until the BITTER END.

**Guest: **Thank you!

**Anna: **I know, I can't wait for them, either. I hope that this chapter satisfies your need for the whole team!

**Iris the Fox Girl: **This chapter won't be so cliffy, but as you said, I update fairly quickly due to the lack of a steady summer job. Once I get back to work in a few weeks, updates will be more sporadic and then you will REALLY hate my cliffhangers. hahahahahahaaaaaaa

I really do appreciate all of the love you guys are giving this story. It makes a fanfiction n00b like me feel all warm and fuzzy. Here come the rest of the Titans in CHAPTER 3!

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**Chapter 3: Preparations**

Victor hated cleaning. It was bad enough to deal with his normal cleaning regimen, but the duties had only piled on when Wally returned with the news that Princess Raven of Azarath would be en route to Nol in three days. That news had come two days ago. Since then, the servants had been working nonstop to get the castle ready for the princess's arrival, and Victor knew that it would get even worse from tomorrow until the princess arrived. Currently, he was scrubbing away at the stone floor in the entrance hall for the fourth time, because, as Richard had so aptly put it, "everything needs to be completely flawless." Nothing seemed to be meeting Richard's high expectations lately, but Victor couldn't blame his friend; as the castle's steward, anything wrong with the state of the castle would be blamed on him, so rather than griping and grumbling as usual, Victor chose instead to keep his annoyance to himself. He was working at a particularly resistant spot of mud when he heard footsteps echoing behind him.

"Trying to get that floor as shiny as your beautiful bald head?"

Victor smiled wickedly. "Good morning, Garfield."

The lean, blond boy returned his toothy smile and took a seat beside him. "Why, Victor," he began sarcastically, "how ever did you know it was me? Don't tell me. It must have been my totally hilarious joke."

"I'd know that raspy, prepubescent voice anywhere."

Garfield's smirk became a frown almost instantaneously. "Hey! I'm not prepubescent. I'm seventeen! Come on, Vic."

"Doesn't mean you don't sound prepubescent." Victor looked over at his friend and fought back a laugh. Garfield was practically the poster child for wearing one's heart on his sleeve, and his childlike pout wasn't exactly helping his case. But Victor's glance at his fellow revealed more than just his feelings...

"Gar! Your feet are COVERED in mud!" Victor spun around and, sure enough, a trail of muddy footprints now decorated his formerly tidy floors. "Seriously?!"

Looking down at his shoes, Garfield shrugged. "You get a little dirty when you're tending to a whole castle's worth of animals. Do you even realize how many horses we have?"

"Don't know and don't care. All I know is that you're putting those shoes by the wall and helping me clean this floor, _Beast Boy,_" Victor hissed, his nickname for the animal tender suddenly sounding cold. After a few minutes of moaning and whining, Garfield did as he was told and finally picked up a rag, resigned to his fate.

"What on Earth happened in here?!"

Victor glared at Garfield as Richard entered the hall in a heightened state of panic. Chuckling sheepishly, Garfield raised a hand. "I thought I'd actually give Victor something to do instead of scrubbing the same clean tiles again and again. No worries, I'll help him out."

Richard put his head in his hands, gripping fistfuls of jet black hair. "Can you be mature about this for at least five seconds? We've got enough to worry about, we don't have _time _to be making even more messes, the princess is going to be here in a few days and we can't be wasting what little prep time we have with—"

"Whatever is the matter, Richard?"

Garfield and Victor exchanged knowing glances as the blood ran from their normally tough-as-nails leader's face. Their former head housekeeper, an overly maternal old hag of a woman, had recently been replaced with a youthful traveler from the distant kingdom of Tamaran. The two boys had thought previously that Richard was so dedicated to his work that he must be asexual, but the arrival of a tall, gorgeous redhead had certainly proven otherwise. "Uh, nothing, Kori," stammered Richard, forcing the frog in his throat back down into his stomach, where, judging by what he felt, it apparently began hopping around incessantly. "Garfield just made a bit of a mess of the floor, that's all."

Kori set her enormous green eyes on the aforementioned dirt trail. "If you are concerned, Richard, I can request that Karen and Juliana assist Victor and Garfield in the cleansing of the floor."

Kori's overly formal language made her a great addition to the servant staff, as she was always viewed as appropriately polite to visiting nobles and royalty, but to Richard, it was also incredibly endearing. "Um, I'm sure they can, uh, handle it," he replied,

"You do not appear to be feeling well, Richard. Perhaps you might wish to join me for a calming stroll in the gardens?" She took Richard's hand in hers, studying it carefully, and he nearly swooned. "You have done the working of your fingers to the skeleton, yes?"

Richard could have growled at his friends; Victor was biting his lip to keep from bursting into laughter, and Garfield, much less subtly, had pressed his wet rag to his face as his shoulders shook with barely suppressed amusement. "The phrase is 'to the bone,' Kori," he explained gently as the color rose back into his cheeks. "And maybe I can walk with you in a few minutes."

"Splendid!" Kori exclaimed. "I shall meet you shortly." The Tamaranian walked out of the hall, moving so gracefully that she could have been floating. Once she was out of earshot,Victor and Garfield exploded with mirth, chests heaving with the loudest laughter they had unleashed in days. Richard turned to his friends, wanting to be angry with them but feeling altogether too happy about his upcoming walk. He gave them a rare, small smile, muttered, "Don't take too long doing this," and followed Kori out.

Victor wiped one last tear from his eye and slowly resumed his scouring of the floors. "Vic, that was _priceless,_" Garfield gasped, rising from his former position of rolling with laughter. "Can't really blame him, though. I wonder if the princess will be as pretty as Kori."

"Don't let Prince Malchior hear you say that," said Victor teasingly. "Princess Raven's got nothing to do with us, and her attractiveness is therefore none of your business."

Garfield retook his rag and started scrubbing. "A boy can dream, can't he?"

* * *

Raven wished with all of her might that she wouldn't dream on this last night in Azarath. She wasn't sure how many more restless nights she could take. All of her fears were threatening to eat her alive in her sleep, and she'd woken up more than once to terrifying visions in her bedroom (of her own creation) that had to be cast out by careful spellwork. The journey was going to be strenuous enough without the added burden of sleep deprivation. _I hope Tara's been sleeping better than I have._

With some needling, Arella had agreed to allow Tara to be Raven's travel companion, but not before granting the young woman a temporary gift of geomancy, which she anticipated would last until partway through their stay in Nol. "For your protection," Arella had said. "It would be unwise of me to send the two of you on your way with only one of you capable of performing any kind of magic."

As Raven packed a few belongings into a small satchel, she wondered if Tara's practice at manipulating the new powers had been going well. The two girls had hardly seen each other in the past couple of days, and Raven suspected that Tara was avoiding her. _Most likely to focus on becoming a better geomancer, _Raven guessed, but the nervousness and edginess that she had picked up from Tara were slightly concerning. She hoped that Tara would feel more at ease once they arrived in the kingdom of Nol.

The princess was broken from her reverie by a soft knock at her door. Sensing Arella's presence, she turned and asked, "Yes, Mother?"

Arella opened the door with a fragile sense of urgency, and even if Raven's curse had not made her an empath, the redness and puffiness of her mother's eyes told her everything she needed to know. Pushing away her mother's sorrow, Raven hesitantly approached the queen, who held out to her a clean, white handkerchief. Turning it over in her hands, Raven saw that the seemingly unblemished handkerchief was actually spotted with a few drops of blood. Her head whipped back in Arella's direction. "What is this?"

"Old magic," Arella whispered. "With my blood, I was able to enchant this handkerchief with a powerful protective spell."

"Why a handkerchief?"

Her mother's sad smile at her inquisitive nature made Raven want to run out of her room just to avoid Arella's increasingly strong emotions, which were beginning to drain Raven with the effort it took to keep them from affecting her. _Why does leaving have to be so difficult? _"A handkerchief is easily hidden. I needed to ensure that you would be safe on your journey." Arella paused, as though there were more she wanted to say, but she simply put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I love you, my child. Sleep well. We will see you off in the morning."

Before her daughter could properly react, Arella had left the room. Reluctantly, Raven tucked the handkerchief into her nightgown and laid herself down for one final sleep in her own home. The morning, she decided, was coming all too quickly.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed the introduction to the rest of the team! For reference, Juliana is my story's Jinx. Looking forward, Raven and Tara's journey to Nol begins! Please continue to be the awesome readers that you are and review if you have the time! Thanks for the support. Y'all are the bomb. :)


	4. Chapter 4: The Fantasy

Back again with a fourth chapter (that is a lot longer!) ready for you lovelies! All of your support has been fantastic.

MAILMAILMAILMAILMAIL

**Guest #1**: On the contrary, your words of encouragement were wonderful! Tara is intriguing to me, too. When I was watching the original series for the first time (TEN YEARS AGO oh god why) I hated Terra, mostly because I was a baby about her getting in the way of my ship, but rewatching it recently, I find her power/friendship/control conflict compelling and tragic. Doesn't mean I like her with Beast Boy, though. ;)

**RainingPurpleHearts: **Thank you! Your demanded update has arrived. :D

**Ttitansgo: **You haven't? That is kind of cool. I read a lot of older fanfiction...Teen Titans fairy-tales may not be so common anymore, but there seems to have been a period where they were quite popular. Beauty and the Beast was (and is) the most popular, I think. Thanks!

**Guest #2: **I'm so glad you're excited! Honestly, I am too. You never know where the characters will take you next!

**Anna: **Thank you! The journey has been very fun to write. I hope you like it!

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Fantasy**

To most of Azarath, it was a typical morning. The sunrise painted pink and red waves across the horizon, in the same fashion as it always had. Servants began their days leading the cattle and goats out into the pasture to graze. Blushing milkmaids giggled at the young farmboys who offered a helpful hand in the hopes that they may get something in exchange. All appeared as usual, and yet, within the castle walls, three women readied themselves for the fateful, life-altering day ahead.

Taking her light satchel in her hands, Raven silently prayed that the trip wouldn't be a waste of her mother's energy. Underneath her cold emotional blockade, Raven could feel in herself hints of shaky confidence, dark worries, and...excitement? _What is wrong with me? _she wondered. _Marriage can't be in the cards for me. _But she couldn't shake off the minor tingle she felt when she imagined the potential of a prince who knew magic, someone who just might understand her pain and, with his family's power, help her overcome it...someone who could, in time, possibly even show her affection...

_Dreaming won't help me now_, Raven thought as she looked wistfully at her room. _Nothing is set in stone._

Her descent to the great hall took her to the waiting figures of two other women. One held back tears while the other fidgeted nervously. Neither Arella nor Tara, it seemed, were taking the anticipated trip well. After checking her bodice to ensure that the handkerchief her mother had given her was exactly where it needed to , Raven found the strength to approach her mother and companion.

"Have you prepared yourself well, my child?" Arella asked, pushing a lock of hair out of Raven's eyes.

"Yes, Mother," Raven replied, with the same cool indifference as she had always had, but she had closed her eyes just after the words left her lips, and Arella knew what her daughter was trying not to feel.

Giving Raven a gloomy smile, Arella turned to Tara. "Are you ready, Tara?"

Something was wrong, Raven could sense it: Tara had stood up entirely too quickly, her back was a little too straight, and she wasn't quite meeting the queen's eyes. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Very well. Be on your way, and safe travels to you both."

Outside of the castle, two horses were stationed for the girls. Raven refused to turn back to her mother—she suspected that emotional control would completely elude her if she were forced to look at her mother again—but she couldn't bring herself to turn her face toward Nol, either. Tara's eyes, on the other hand, could see nothing but the way ahead. Looking back was no longer an option for Tara; she had made her choice, and couldn't be weighed down by guilt and regret. Each girl mounted her horse, gave each other knowing looks, and rode off before another lively day in Azarath truly began.

* * *

The day wore on, hot and sleepy, without Raven and Tara saying much of anything to each other. Both girls were completely lost in their own thoughts, hopes, and concerns, but after their long hours of travel, Raven tentatively opened up her channels of empathy to see how Tara was feeling. A few flashes of fear and stress hit her subconscious fairly hard. Unsure of how to proceed (Raven had never attempted to console someone before), the princess cleared her throat awkwardly. "Um, Tara?"

Tara was woken from her plotting with a jolt. "Yes, Raven?"

"I don't mean to be invasive, but..." Raven shook her head. Perhaps she shouldn't ask. "Never mind. It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" asked Tara sympathetically. A pang of guilt shot through Raven, and she knew that the same pang had just hit the girl beside her, though she had no idea why.

"My curse...you know that I can sense some basic emotions." The princess looked over at her servant, and a shameful fear was suddenly crushed and stomped out by a delicate, breakable calm. Raven could practically feel Tara shaking. "There is no need to hide your emotions from me. I just wanted to know if you were...okay."

Relief, warm and soft, spread through Raven's chest, and Tara's calm relaxed her in turn. "I'm fine, Princess. Really. Just some travel jitters, I guess."

Raven frowned. "Travel jitters? What on Earth do you have to be worried about? I'm the one meeting a prince who may very well be my future husband."

Tara rolled her eyes. Was that supposed to make her feel better? Sympathy was not Raven's strong point. "Sorry. These new powers aren't the easiest to control."

"To be honest, I'm not sure why my mother even gave those to you. I've developed a command of my curse and can use it to my advantage now. But, I don't think my mother likes that." Pieces of her mother's intentions were now fitting together. "She'd probably prefer that I didn't use my powers, for fear that..."

"You'll become attached to them?" Tara inquired, seeing the princess in a new light. _Maybe this isn't such a good idea. Raven in control of her curse could spell serious trouble for me._

But Raven looked away, staring pointedly at her horse's mane. "I could never become attached to them."

An awkward silence hung like a fog between the girls until Raven, looking more outwardly morose than Tara had ever seen, mumbled, "It might be best if we turn back."

"What?!" cried Tara incredulously, stopping short and staring at the princess. "What would we turn back for?"

Raven bit her lip. "I just...I can't have them thinking...I'm not ready for a step like this. Mother should have know that when the messenger arrived in the first place."

"Yes, you are. You'll be fine. Let's just keep going, Nol is only another day or two away." _I have come way too far to have this taken from me now._

Sensing her friend's frustration, Raven tried to explain more thoroughly. "Tara, I appreciate the encouragement, but it's wasted on me. There's just no way that I could be prepared for something like this. I want to return home."

But Tara had had enough. "_Raven_! You are a _princess, _for Azar's sake, and one day, you just might have to start acting like one! I know how much you love moping around, but we've got a kingdom to visit, so _let's go._"

This effectively ended any hope of a conversation between the two. It felt like the wind was rushing in Raven's ears, but she couldn't afford to lose control. Masking her hurt and anger as best she could, Raven forced herself to continue through her bitterness when she was hit by a sudden thirst. Raven glanced around her person, spotting a stream some distance away. Turning her horse's attention to the stream, she reached into her satchel for a goblet, but didn't find one before the horse had stopped at the water's edge. _Naturally, _thought Raven bitterly. Tentatively, but with her same innate fierceness, Raven's eyes fell on Tara. "Tara, do you have a goblet? I didn't bring one."

Tara scoffed and looked away. _Well, this will be a fun trip, _Raven thought.

Raven refused to allow Tara to get the best of her, so she bent over the stream to cup the water in her hands. As she drank, Tara took notice of a white handkerchief that poked out from the bodice of Raven's dress, spotted with something red. Puzzled, she tried to recollect where she had seen it before. Suddenly, her mind was brought back to the very first attempt to cast out Trigon the Terrible, when she and Raven were small; Tara knew that she had seen a great white cloth dotted with the blood of the queen being given to the soldiers just before they had gone to battle. Not knowing exactly what it was for, but suspecting that it had some sort of magic to it, Tara attempted to make use of her newly granted geomancy.

Slowly, as the princess continued to drink, one creeping link of mud by the stream floated upward toward the handkerchief. Gently wrapping itself around the corner of the fabric, it softly tugged at the handkerchief, causing it to fall from Raven's bodice while she wasn't paying attention. The tendril slithered away with the handkerchief, taking it below the surface of the water and out of sight. Tara breathed a sigh of relief.

Raven remounted her horse, entirely unaware that anything was amiss, and proceeded back toward Tara, riding past her without a word.

* * *

Once it had gotten too dark to see, the girls found themselves a shady place to sleep and laid themselves down. Tara listened to the princess's breathing until it had slowed and evened out, lifted herself up, and moved toward the princess. One simple strike was all she needed.

Tara called to a sharp, jagged rock not far from her, and it hung menacingly in the air just above the princess's heart. _Just do it, Tara, you can do it. _But guilt overwhelmed her senses, and despite her lifelong frustration with Raven, she knew that somewhere in her heart, they were still...companions. Lady and servant. Almost friends. _You want this. It would be so easy. _

Tara had to rethink it. Taking a deep breath and trying to control the shakiness in her bones, she kicked the princess awake. Raven's eyes flew open at the pain in her side and she looked up at the jagged rock above her, eyes wide. She was so startled that, for a moment, she lay still. "Tara?"

"Be my servant girl," Tara breathed, convulsing so hard that the rock she controlled now swayed with her. "Be my servant girl or die."

A shadowy hand took away the jagged rock as though it were nothing, casting it aside as the princess glared at her servant. "What is this, Tara? What is the meaning of this?"

The blonde girl was unsteady, Raven could see that; it seemed she could hardly stand. _Something must be seriously wrong. A possession?_ But her empathy picked up no foreign presence..._this is entirely her own doing. _Raven felt wrath tearing at her insides, but locked it up as well as she possibly could.

_What was I thinking? This never could have worked. The princess is so much stronger than me, has so much more control over her powers, over me. _Tara's frustration turned her eyes a menacing, glowing gold. "_You, _Raven, are no princess. I should be in your place! I am everything that your mother could have ever wanted in a daughter, everything Azarath could have desired for their princess to be. But instead, they have you. A freak. A monster. A witch! Think about it, Raven. You, a princess, and me, your...servant girl?" She spat out the last two words, as if they disgusted her. "That's fantasy. I'm just setting things right."

Raven groped desperately for some last saving thread of control even as she felt her focus rapidly slipping away. Much like the water that had so recently passed through her thin fingers, her emotions were escaping her in a way that she had never experienced. She felt her father's curse stirring within her, voices in her ears whispering for her to kill, her skin crawling with the anticipation of her friend's imminent destruction, her vision clouding with a blood-red energy. Her last resistance manifested in the form of a twisted howl, and the Raven that Tara knew was gone.

Before Tara now was a whirlwind of energy and terror. Four glowing eyes were locked on her and her alone. If she hadn't been afraid before, she certainly was now, but this was her chance. Raven had succumbed completely to her curse, and the one thing that she would need to subdue Tara—control—was lost. With every ounce of energy she had, Tara raised up the largest rock that she could see, sending it directly toward Raven's head. The rock was consumed by shadow without so much as a nod from Raven. Tara choked down her fear. As much as it made Raven suffer, Trigon's curse also made the princess dreadfully powerful. Nightmarish tendrils reached for the blonde servant, one of them gripping her ankle. Shrieking, Tara threw out her right hand, calling a patch of mud to send itself down Raven's throat. Something in the princess seemed to shatter as the shadows dove inside to clear her throat; now Tara could see that Raven's second pair of eyes had closed, and her human side appeared to be trying to break free, as purple irises were disappearing and reappearing behind her eyes' red glow.

Smoky fingers clawed at her pharynx, removing the offending mud, and Raven had returned to control of her body. Her energy was utterly drained and, gasping, her lungs fought for air. She attempted to reach out empathically to locate her attacker, but something hard made contact with the base of her skull, and her world went dark.

* * *

Remember how I said that I was going to deviate from the original story? :) I decided that some of the elements of the original tale just wouldn't work here, particularly the loss of the handkerchief. In the original, the princess is so distraught that she doesn't notice it falling out of her bodice and floating away, which was so glaringly OOC for a girl as smart as Raven that I couldn't make it work. Having Tara take it instead seemed a better option.

As usual, please review and let me know what you are thinking! Support, helpful criticism, flames, love, and unbridled rage are all equally welcome.


	5. Chapter 5: An Unexpected Arrival

**Elsie**: I really appreciate the constructive, well-worded help! Rereading it after your review made the lack of emotional content in the chapter pretty clear. Too much fighting, not enough exploring. I'll try to be more careful of that from now on! I have plans for Tara and Raven that will address the glaring problems presented by the original tale and my chosen deviations from it (what's Tara's plan once she gets to Nol? Is Raven going to just take this lying down? Won't Wally notice that Tara looks nothing like Arella?) so explanations, whether or not you expected them, are coming! Malchior may be the thing I am most excited to bring in, because he will shake up this story. HARD.

**Anna: **Thank you! Your predictions make my heart smile so much because I really want to see how you (and everyone) take Raven's chosen course of action. Won't spoil it for you, but I'm excited. As weird as this may sound, I'm so excited to get started on some Raven and Beast Boy love, but I'm really getting interested in Raven and Tara's relationship too.

**AzulaTano**: Good question! Honestly, Raven and Arella are names that have a more fantasy feel to me, though Rachel and Angela are perfectly pretty names as well.

**Guest: **Thank you kindly! :D

**RainingPurpleHearts: **Thanks, bro! I love acquiring new bros. Your demanding seems to be working out for you, because the next update is here! Weird how that works.

Goodness that mailbag was LENGTHY! You guys give such good feedback/ask great questions! Let me know if names get too confusing (you'll know what I mean by the end.) Because of your long wait, I give you a nice, long, hopefully higher quality update. I give you...CHAPTER FIVE

* * *

**Chapter Five: An Unexpected Arrival**

Tara's head was reeling. _What have I done? _She was sick with guilt, terrified of what would happen to her as she stood over the princess. Though Tara knew that she would surely be caught if Raven lived, her mouth went dry at the thought of actually killing her. Involuntarily, she thought of the bloodshed, the princess's cold, lifeless body resting limp and broken on the ground, her bones crushed by rocks, or her ribs caved in...Tara's churning stomach finally got the best of her, and she retched beside a bush close by. _Forget what I've done; what am I _going _to do?_

The blonde tentatively reached for the unconscious girl's neck, struck with the sudden fear that Raven was already dead. But the tell-tale rhythmic movement beneath the skin told Tara that Raven was still very much alive. An odd mixture of terror and relief washed over her.

_I can't stay any longer, _Tara thought, although something inside of her wanted to wait until Raven awoke and beg forgiveness. Was she even strong enough to go through with her plan?

Now was not the time for regrets or concerns. _Easy, Tara. You're just a few hours away from getting everything you've ever dreamed of. _She took a deep breath, put on her stoniest face, and mounted her horse, taking Raven's satchel with her; it contained some of the finest robes the princess had, and Tara knew it was going to take more than words to convince Nol that she was the Azarathian princess. For good measure, she released Raven's horse and startled it into running off. There was no way that the princess could make it to Nol on foot. With a quick snap of the reins, Tara left Raven behind, her heart full of excitement at the prospect of meeting the people who would come to love her.

* * *

"How long do we have to stand like this?"

"Until the princess gets here."

Garfield groaned. "But I'm so tired..."

"Gar!" Richard snapped, trying to sound stern, but he was struggling to hide his worry. "Just try to focus on something else. She should be here any moment. The guards saw her riding in not too long ago."

But Garfield's patience had already dissipated into thin air. The entire castle had been standing stock still for the past twenty minutes, waiting to go through the traditional procession of the princess into the throne room. At the center of the room stood Prince Malchior, an elegant, white-haired young man with a cold, proud face. _Pretty boy, _Garfield thought with a little bit of frustration. Beside him stood the Regent of Nol, Lord Fantino, who had been appointed to rule the kingdom upon the king's death until Prince Malchior came of age. He looked relatively clueless, as always.

Garfield looked over and saw that Victor's patience was wearing thin, too, but Kori was completely immobile, focused and steady, just like Richard on his other side. _More power to her, _Garfield thought. There was no way he could ever have that kind of discipline. Come to think of it, Kori didn't normally behave like this, either. Looking at her again, he saw her sneaking a glance out of the corner of her eye at Richard before straightening her back once more. _She's trying to be like Richard... _His eyes widened and a huge smile broke over his face. _No, she's trying to _impress _Richard—_

Just as he was about to turn and share this new development with Victor, a chorus of trumpets blared throughout the throne room. The great doors opened to reveal the princess, who entered the room with a somewhat shy gracefulness. As she passed, those who had been standing for so long now knelt before her, and, relieved, Garfield did the same. Knowing that it would be considered disrespectful to look at her too much, but curious about her appearance, Garfield snuck a peek at her. What he saw made his jaw drop.

She was _gorgeous. _Her long, golden-yellow hair was neatly plaited and wrapped with deep blue ribbons. The gown she wore was a deep, rich blue as well; the velvety texture only enhanced the princess's beauty. When she turned to face the crowd for a moment—_is she nervous?_—Garfield could see that the blues in her attire made her eyes stand out, the most innocent blue eyes he'd ever seen. His heart pounded and he felt a sudden need to clear his throat. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

She didn't appear to have the same effect on the prince, which confused Garfield to no end, but the prince and the regent both had raised eyebrows as they bowed before the princess. She politely curtsied in response, keeping her head bowed until she was addressed by the regent.

"Rise, Princess Raven of Azarath," said Regent Lord Fantino, and the princess did as she was told. "Welcome to the kingdom of Nol."

"Thank you, my Lord." The princess turned to the prince and curtsied again. "Your Royal Highness."

Prince Malchior nodded, gesturing for her to rise. "My fair maiden." A crimson blush painted the princess's cheeks, and Garfield felt his own cheeks heat up. His fists clenched of their own accord. Victor elbowed him gently, mouthing, "What are you doing?" This put a temporary end to Garfield's display, but anxious butterflies still seemed to be pounding on his ribs in search of a way out.

The princess smiled sweetly. "I wish to thank you for your courteous offer of hospitality, Your Royal Highness."

"The pleasure, I can assure you, is mine. But, my lady," Malchior began, eyeing the princess curiously, "forgive my asking, but the court was under the impression that your mother was of...a much different coloration than yourself."

Not far from Garfield, Wally was squirming. If he ended up being accused of having false information...But Wally's squirming was nothing in comparison to the "princess's" silent, guarded terror. One slip-up and she wouldn't just be out the door: she would be out of this plane of existence.

"Prince Malchior, I trust you are aware of the...circumstances surrounding my birth." She took in a deep breath. This was a long-shot, but if it worked...

He nodded slowly. "I am."

The princess continued. "My heritage from my father's side has caused a drastic change in my own appearance. The cursed magic flowing through my veins resulted in my looking completely different from my mother."

There was a murmur of assent, but Tara could see that Malchior was still apprehensive. "The cursed magic..." he breathed. "Tell me, dear princess, would you perhaps be so kind as to prove your identity through a show of magic for the court?"

Tara's blood ran cold. How she was going to get out of this, she didn't know. Trying with all of her might to calm herself, Tara replied with urgency, "Your Royal Highness, forgive me, I am not feeling well, and performing magic under such conditions is terribly—"

A rumble was heard beneath their feet, and the stone tiles began to shake. In her panic, Tara felt a surge of power run through her limbs, and heard the gasps from the crowd as the tiles rose from their places on the floor. The tiles..._the tiles are stone, _she realized suddenly.

"She is the true princess!" a young man's voice cried. "I heard rumors while in Azarath that the princess has difficulty controlling her curse."

Tara couldn't believe it. Would dumb luck, her sheer lack of command over her newly acquired geomancy, save her life? It would appear so; the regent had nodded at Malchior, smiling, and the prince suddenly appeared much warmer. Out of pure relief, her racing heart slowed. Perhaps it had slowed a little too quickly, because to the great surprise of the people in court, Tara's eyes rolled back into her head and she swooned, landing hard into the prince's arms. Garfield nearly ran up to catch her, but was stopped by Richard's steady hand slamming into his chest. A voice in the crowd called for someone to take the princess to her chambers to rest, Kori and her maids went to her, and the regent Lord Fantino requested that Richard send someone to the market to fetch meadowsweet to calm the princess's nerves. Looking inquisitively at Garfield, who was altogether too upset for Richard to feel comfortable keeping him in the castle, Richard whispered, "Go, Gar. We'll talk later."

* * *

A fuzzy world was slowly coming into focus before Raven's eyes. It was incredibly bright, Raven noticed, and she wasn't sure what to make of it. She shouldn't be waking up to brightness this strong; _Did I oversleep? Where is..._

This woke her with a start as she leapt up from her place on the ground, searching desperately for the girl who had betrayed her. She remembered now; Tara had probably knocked her out after their quarrel. _Not exactly the right word for it, _she thought, anger and hurt swelling up inside of her and threatening to bring tears to her eyes. _It was more like a_ _duel. _Why would Tara have done this to her? What on Earth could have made Tara so angry as to hurt Raven? Shamefully, Raven recalled her former thoughts about the girl traitor. As much as it made it worse to admit it, Tara had been her only friend in the world. _Am I really unworthy of having even one friend?_

Ignoring the pain in her heart (with less success than she had anticipated), Raven looked around and saw that her horse was gone. She called out to him, reached out empathically to find him, but came up with nothing. Raven swore. _When I get to Nol, Tara is a dead girl. _

Getting to Nol...that was going to pose a serious challenge. There was no hope for her arriving at all if she tried to get there on foot, and they had been sure to take a route on which there would be no other travelers. Raven had no option but to make it as far as she could alone, without her horse. She racked her brains, willing her mind to recall some spell, some other way to get to Nol quickly...

Then it came to her. Raven had seen a spell, had practiced it a few times. The spell, if done correctly, would transport her instantly to whatever location on she set her mind. But Raven had only ever performed it over short distances, to locations she knew well, and the spell could harm her if she cast it incorrectly, or with a meek heart. _If I want to live, _she thought sadly, _I have no other choice. _Locking away her fear and nervousness, Raven began to cast. A shadowy dark descended upon her, and in her last moments before it swallowed her, the frightened girl prayed with all her might that the spell would work.

Raven's heart was set on Nol. Hers would be a truly unexpected arrival.

* * *

"Stupid Richard...of course he sends ME to get her medicine..."

Leaving the castle to fetch herbs was the last thing Garfield wanted to be doing; though he would never admit it out loud to anyone, he would have been content to stay in and stare at the princess all day long. She'd been so different from what he had expected. Wally had described the queen as pale, with black hair and piercing eyes, but Princess Raven had apparently been blessed—_cursed, _he reminded himself—with a completely different complexion, golden hair, and the warmest baby blues he had ever seen. Her fragility was entrancing to him. Something about her just made him want to hold her and tell her everything would be fine.

But he couldn't, because..._well, actually, there are a few reasons, _he thought sadly, turning down a dirt path that would take him to the town center. Garfield knew where he stood, and it certainly wasn't beside the golden-haired princess. Sighing, he arrived at a stand where a tall, dark woman stood scowling at her potential customers.

The woman turned her eyes on Garfield. "Vot do you vant?" Her eyes dropped a little lower, to the royal crest his tunic sported, and her eyes softened.

Garfield grinned. There were some perks to being a palace servant, and the avoidance of the medicine woman's usually bitter moods was one of them. "Good afternoon, Madame. I was hoping to come by some meadowsweet." He dropped his voice lower. "The princess is weary from her travels."

She smiled widely. "Of course. I vould be more than happy to accommodate you." She rummaged through her various jars until she came across the one he needed. Pulling out a couple of roots, she held out her hand for coins. As Garfield handed them to her, the medicine woman inched closer to him. "Is it true what they say about her?" she whispered. "Does she bear any resemblance to Tri—"

"Not at all," he replied dreamily. "Thanks." Just as Garfield pivoted to return to the castle, he felt his face collide with a larger man's chest.

"A palace boy, huh? You've probably got more money in that purse of yours than I've made all month..."

Raven had gotten to the town center an hour ago and she was getting tired of waiting for a palace servant to come by. Her landing at Nol had been particularly rough, and also hadn't been exactly on target; because she hadn't known exactly where to land, Raven had ended up about two miles from Nol, which had forced her to walk the remaining distance for fear that she'd make a mistake again. At least it had been within walking distance, but still, she was tired of waiting any longer. She knew that the servants would be busy, what with Tara's arrival, but this was absolutely ridiculous. Nothing seemed to be going on; the rumblings of what appeared to be an argument (possibly an upcoming fight) could be heard down the street, but it was nothing that concerned Raven.

The square got a little louder, and she thought she heard a yelp coming from the direction of the argument she'd overheard. Out of boredom, Raven glanced over her right shoulder and nearly yelped herself at what she saw: a young, blonde boy, in servant's garb, with the royal crest embroidered on his chest. It seemed he was the one in the middle of the "debate"...and he wasn't winning. Rising swiftly, Raven hurried toward him.

"Just give me the gold, little man!" cried the larger of the two fighters, landing a punch on the blonde boy's jaw.

"I can't," whimpered the boy, clutching the velvet purse as though his life depended on it. "If I don't come back with it, my friend will get into serious trouble." Despite his seemingly whiny tone, the boy was able to get in a quick jab to the man's stomach. _Stronger than he looks, _thought Raven, intrigued.

The man he'd hit evidently thought the same thing as he clutched his stomach in pain. "Enough's enough," he muttered, cracking his knuckles menacingly and approaching the boy with a new determination. Before he was able to get near the boy, however, Raven had stepped quickly between the two.

"Leave him alone."

Taken aback, the man paused, then cackled. "You call your witchy little girlfriend to help you?" He wiped a tear from his eye, wrapped up in his own amusement. Unbeknownst to him, the man had struck a nerve with both Garfield and Raven.

Garfield almost growled. "Hey, lay off her! And she isn't my..."

He froze at the sight before him. The strange purple-haired girl had swept her leg cleanly across the man's ankles and knocked him into a nearby vegetable cart. "Don't...call...me...witch," she spat, turning her attention to Garfield, who was now thoroughly terrified. With every bit of courage he had left, Garfield did what he did best...he summoned a joke.

"Looks like we totally squashed that guy! Get it? _Squashed? _Because...you know, the vegetables?" The girl in front of him said nothing, just blinked those spooky, light eyes at him and studied him. It felt like she _knew_ things, even though that didn't make any sense, and she hadn't even so much as chuckled at his awesome joke. Garfield didn't like it at all. "Uh, I'm Garfield. Thanks for your help, um..."

"R...Tara," the girl said haughtily, dusting off her dress and ignoring his gratitude entirely. She glanced down at the purse he held. "Who would have been punished for the loss of this purse? Your steward, I presume?"

"Yes," Garfield replied, with a tone of wariness that Raven did not miss. For all the rumors that had been going around the kingdom about her, the princess hadn't frightened him, but this girl had. _There should be rumors flying about this girl, _Garfield mused. _A little warning about her would have been nice._

"In that case, your friend the steward owes me a kindness. I've been cast out of my home, and I'm in need of work. Would he possibly be able to speak to your housekeeper and arrange a position for me at the castle?" Raven silently prayed that this would work. She knew all too well that she could easily prove her heritage and status as princess with a wave of her hand, rendering any trust Tara had gained worthless and condemning the girl instantly. But Raven was unsure of the penalty for impersonating a royal; she suspected, with a pang of worry, that it was death, and no matter what Tara had done to her, Raven wouldn't let her die. She would never indulge that dark, vengeful part of her blood.

_Besides, _she thought, _Tara and I were once...almost friends._ This hurt too much to think about, so Raven willed the thoughts away.

Garfield wasn't sure about this girl; she knew a little too much about the inner workings of a castle, had conveniently arrived on the same day as the princess, and hell, she was _creepy_. But behind her cold expression, Garfield could see the hint of a scared, lost girl, and anyway, everyone laughed at his jokes. Maybe keeping her around would get her to crack, and that scared girl could become someone new. "Um, yeah, sure, I guess so."

"Excellent." For a moment, Garfield thought he saw a bit of hope in the girl's eyes. "Show me the way."

* * *

What did you think? Review and let me know! The plot thickens, and we finally got in a little platonic BBRae. :D Don't hate me for Garfield's little crush on Tara; BBTerra has a very important place in Garfield's upcoming character development, just as it did in the show. Also, for reference, a "regent" is a ruler who is not the next in line for the throne, but who rules in place of the successor in question if he/she is absent or otherwise unable to rule. Now that the pieces of the puzzle have all landed in the same location, there will be more fun to come!


	6. Chapter 6: Finders Keepers

Sorry for the longish (for me, anyway) break between chapters! Since my last update, I've moved, so not much time spent thinking about this story for a little bit. But I'm settled in now, which means UPDATE TIME, and update time means MAIL TIME

**AnderzzJackson: **A gem?! Awww, thanks...don't mind me, just blushing. And it's okay to kinda hate Tara for a bit. We'll see how you feel about her in a few chapters.

**Elsie: **I'm glad you agree that charging in blindly is not exactly Rae-Rae's MO. I am still debating whether or not our favorite masked evildoer will have a part in this little play; you'll see soon where exactly I probably would have put him, but for the time-being, Slade's out of the picture.

**Anna: **Thank you! The one thing that drives me crazy about lots of BBRae fanfiction is that many people forget how fun they are when they're just friends (I think that stems from a frustration that they never got together canonically in the cartoon, so we shippers let it all out in writing.) Especially because they've just met in my story, there's absolutely no way that they'll be any more than hinting for a while.

**RainingPurpleHearts: **YOUR DEMANDS, THEY HANG OVER MY HEAD, FORCING ME TO WRITE. lol but seriously thanks. Here's hoping you like this chapter!

Never fear, Chapter 6 IS HERE

* * *

**Chapter Six: Finders Keepers**

"What's with your hair color?"

"It's normal where I'm from."

"Where are you from?"

"Far away."

"How'd you get here?"

"Walked."

"Didn't you get tired?"

"No."

"Do you like horses?"

"Sure, why not."

"Then why didn't you ride a horse here?"

Raven's fingers nearly wrapped around his throat of their own accord. This Garfield boy was entirely insufferable: nosy, persistent, and unbearably hyperactive. In brief, he was everything that she didn't need right now. "Don't have one."

Garfield frowned, wondering why on Earth this girl wouldn't just look him in the eye. Her stony face had been steadfastly pointed toward the castle for the complete duration of their walk, and he was getting a little frustrated by it, but not so frustrated that he was going to give up. "That's barely an excuse," Garfield mumbled, kicking up a little bit of dirt as he walked. He glanced around him, searching for inspiration, until a bird flew past. His lips curled into a small smile. "What's your favorite animal?"

_Breathe in, breathe out. You'll be at the castle before you know it. _"I don't know."

"I've got lots." He stopped dead in his tracks as he stared thoughtfully up at the sky. "Actually, I kind of like them all. I haven't met an animal I didn't like!"

Rolling her eyes, Raven gently nudged Garfield with her elbow to get him to move again. "Super."

As they continued on toward the castle gates, Raven could feel Garfield's huge green eyes boring into her. She was a little impressed that he hadn't tripped over something by now; he had hardly looked where he was going the whole way. The boy's curiosity radiated from him like an intense heat wave, and for a moment Raven racked her brains to see if she'd ever met anyone who could be so easily read, but came up with no one. It was killing her not to complain about the frenzy his emotions were in, and to ask him to tone it down, so Raven did the next best thing. "_What?_"

A pinkish hue began its slow spread at Garfield's cheeks. "You don't talk very much."

Raven had to force herself not to groan. _I wish I could say the same about you. _"No, I don't."

"Why not?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.

"You talk enough for both of us, I think."

A normal person would have been embarrassed. A normal person would have been hurt. A normal person would have been immediately silenced by this kind of coldness. Garfield, however, was not a normal person. He instantly brightened, and Raven's words had almost put a spring in his step. Unable to hide her amazement, she pivoted on the spot to face him. "What?"

She was met with a toothy grin mere inches from her face. "That's the best answer you've given me since we started walking! And you looked at me, for once. I have finally cracked the surface of your icy outer shell."

Before Raven had the chance to retort (or stealthily direct the nearest blunt object at Garfield's head,) the gangly blond had stopped rather abruptly at the gates of the castle. "Here we are. Hope you're ready for an awesome time, Tara."

Raven visibly bristled at the name. This was going to take some getting used to. Perhaps she shouldn't have chosen the name of her false friend as her new identity, but it had been the first name she'd thought of, and anyway, it was too late now. As she watched the gates open for the two of them, Raven contemplated her next move with some difficulty. _What exactly am I going to do once I get in the castle? _The royal family wasn't going to let just anyone tend to the princess, and if she didn't get a housekeeping position close to the princess, she'd have no excuse to see Tara. Wishing she had thought this through more thoroughly, Raven followed Garfield into the throne room warily, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of the blonde traitor.

"What are you so nervous about?"

Jumping, Raven recalled that she was not, in fact, alone. "Nothing."

"Yeah, okay," replied Garfield mischievously, leading her down a relatively dark passageway. "Whatever you say. But you haven't got anything to fear, m'lady, we're almost to the servants' quarters and I'm sure they'll have a place for you." Judging by the sudden shift in his demeanor, Raven suspected that Garfield thought he'd found the source of her problem. "There's always work to be done, and even if there wasn't, we wouldn't just throw you out onto the street."

Despite the fact that he was quite far off the mark, Raven couldn't help but be touched by his kindness. Even Tara hadn't been this nice to her before. A tingling sensation that started in the pit of her stomach rose up into her chest. _Strange, _she thought before silently refocusing herself. With an extravagant gesture, Garfield opened the door to the servants' quarters and bowed deeply from the waist. "After you, Tara."

Shuddering again—_seriously_ _going to have to keep that under control_, Raven mused—she walked into the large, poorly lit room before her. The accomodations weren't very pleasant-looking, with only a few tables and chairs to speak of, but the people were outrageously bright and social, standing out like stars against the dark backdrop of their living arrangement. Laughter filled the air in a way Raven had never heard before; life had always been so serious in Azarath, especially where she was concerned. She tried to swallow her fear and nearly choked on it. Flooded with a momentary sensation of panic, Raven tried to back out of the room and was stopped by Garfield's reassuring hand on her shoulder. She felt the tingling sensation again. "Nice try," he whispered, smirking. "Hey, everyone! I found us a new recruit!"

In a split second, all eyes were on her. Raven hesitated. They were all taking her in, slowly but surely; she felt a few eyes lingering on her hair and skin tone. Something was wobbling, a glass or mug, she could hear it, and Raven knew it was her fault. Breathing slowly, willing her nerves to settle, until suddenly—

She was certain she was being crushed, and a few of her vertebrae definitely cracked. "Garfield! You have brought us a new friend! Splendid!" The pressure on her body subsided and Raven opened her eyes to see a beautiful young woman before her, a curtain of red hair framing her pale green eyes and sun-kissed face. What made her most beautiful, though, was her smile, radiant and welcoming. And the emotions..._well, I suppose Garfield has a female double in that regard. _The girl's excitement was infectious, expending a lot of Raven's energy just to be fought off.

"Tara, this is Kori, our head housekeeper. Kori, the latest addition to your set of ladies."

Kori looked Raven up and down with what felt akin to apprehension, but the gleaming smile never left her face. Without looking away, Kori stretched her right arm in the direction of a boy with mussed, coal-black hair. "Richard, assist me, please."

Raven wasn't sure she'd seen anyone move as quickly as Richard had; he'd practically teleported to Kori's side, also giving Raven a once-over. "I would have placed her as a haidmaiden to the princess, but I am afraid that Princess Raven is in need of no further assistance," Kori continued softly. Raven cursed to herself. It would appear she was going to have to get to Tara by other means.

"Can you cook?" Richard inquired, his blue eyes locking onto her own violet ones with a seriousness that Raven supposed would have frightened someone weaker than herself. She almost liked him just because he didn't seem to be constantly assaulting her senses with emotional content. At least someone she'd met had some form of control over himself. Raven couldn't help but take comfort in this similarity; it was like looking in the mirror, or at a long-lost brother.

"Sort of," Raven answered, as honestly as possible. The kitchens weren't a good place for her if reaching Tara was her goal; she'd have no reason to stray too far from them without revealing her identity and possibly endangering Tara's life in the process.

Richard closed his eyes, as if trying to visualize a place for Raven to work. "Now isn't exactly the time for you to learn. We can't afford any slip-ups while the princess is here."

"I am sure she would do well cleaning the castle, but that is a task in which we all take the piece."

"Take part, Kori," Richard muttered gently, speaking so absentmindedly that correcting the lady's odd speech patterns appeared to be second nature.

Kori flushed, and Raven was hit with a sickly sweet mixture of embarrassment and...shyness? The lovely woman was anything but timid. "My apologies. Are you certain that there is no other place for her?"

At this, a dark-skinned young man, more mature than his companions, grinned widely at Garfield. He seemed to be chuckling at some personal joke of which only himself and Garfield could partake. "We did just lose our goose girl and...well, Gar, you found her. Maybe you should keep her."

Garfield started, and Raven's mind raced at the idea of working outside the castle, away from Tara, but Richard looked at the boy with a sense of wonder. "Of course, Victor! I don't know how that slipped my mind. Tara can be our new goose girl and, as the leading animal caretaker, Garfield will take her under his wing, so to speak."

"Hold on," Raven began sharply, directing her steely gaze at Garfield. "You 'lost' her? What exactly happened to her?"

"Not important," Garfield said with a wave of his hand, but Victor was all too eager to jump in and refresh his memory.

"She got sick of the little beasty man's, and I quote, 'bad jokes and incessant flirting.' "

"Aw, Vic, seriously?" Garfield's disappointment read, as usual, like a page of a children's book, blatant and heavy-handed.

But Raven felt something stirring within her when she looked at Victor again, an amusement that she'd never experienced, and even more strangely, a desire to join him in his teasing. "I don't know, Garfield, that sounds about right to me."

The words had hardly left her lips before she regretted them. Garfield's eyes were wide, bigger than dinner saucers, apparently shocked at her sudden participation in their little joke. To be honest, Raven was more shocked than he was; she'd hardly ever made jokes before, and she'd made two within the span of an hour. _What is it about these people? _She shook her head as if trying to shoo away a pestering fly. Victor, on the other hand, clutched his stomach while he guffawed loudly. "I like her!" he said between breaths. "She knows what's what!"

For all of his protestation and whining, it was clear that Garfield's lips were twitching upward, trying not to laugh along with them. "Okay, okay, fine, I see how it is. Tara, the animals are all set for the evening, but you work with me first thing tomorrow."

"Wonderful!" Kori exclaimed, taking Raven's hand beforeshe could object. "You shall come with us. Karen, Juliana, let us retire for the evening. It has been a pleasure, boys," she said, glancing quickly at Richard. He gave her a small nod, and giddy with the delight of meeting a new companion, Kori dragged Raven out of the living area and into the female servants' bedchambers.

The moment the girls were out of sight, Garfield smacked Victor's arm with the back of his hand. "What was that about, Vic? 'You found her, you keep her'?"

"What?" asked Victor innocently, twiddling his thumbs. "You know her best. She seems to like you well enough."

Garfield snorted. "I think you're giving me too much credit. She hardly said two words to me on the way here. Speaking of that..." He looked around the room, then lowered his voice to ensure that only Victor and Richard could hear. "I don't know, it just seems a little weird that she randomly wants work at the castle right when Princess Raven arrives, don't you think?"

Victor scoffed, of the mind that Garfield was being utterly ridiculous, but Richard's expression remained unreadable. Finally, he said, "No, Gar, I think you're right to be suspicious. We all should be." He paused, and Garfield could practically see the wheels turning in his leader's brain. "It's a good thing she'll be working under your supervision, then," Richard stated. "I ask that you keep an eye on her, just...make sure she's okay."

"Aye aye," Garfield called playfully, kneeling as he had seen the knights do when they approached the prince. Victor, feeling mischievous, easily hoisted Garfield up by the shoulders and carried him off to the male servants' bedchamber, kicking and screaming, with Richard following close behind. Garfield's words were still running through his head, but he trusted his friend, and if Garfield had thought her okay to bring to the castle, then she was most likely trustworthy as well. Tara was, for the time being, perfectly safe.

* * *

As always, read, review if you'd like (but no worries if you don't) and tell me your thoughts! When I gazed into my crystal ball and asked it where this story would go next, I saw in its cloudy depths a whole lotta Malchior/Tara action. Get ready!


	7. Chapter 7: A Layer of Discontent

Friends...we've reached over 1,000 views and over 500 visitors! This is so much more than I ever expected. Thank you so much for all of your love and support! I love that people are getting excited about this story with me. So again, thank you!

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**Iris the Fox Girl**: I'm happy I could help, even though it's just by writing. As for your writing question, the story is already mapped out all neat and pretty, which makes chapter writing much easier.

**RainingPurpleHearts: **Thanks! I'm looking forward to it, too. Their relationship deeply interests me right now. I wonder how he would take the truth...as for now, it's a good thing Raven's (sort of) looking out for her!

**Guest: **Thanks! Glad you're pumped. :)

**Elsie: **Yes! If Richard hadn't been even a little bit concerned about what Garfield said, I think we'd have cause for alarm. In regards to the rest of your predictions...I won't spoil your fun!

**Anna: **Thank you!

Recently, I've started working a full-time job and a half, so rather than updating within a few days, new chapters will now be posted on Sundays. This is my way of staying regular with chapters without going crazy. This chapter obviously doesn't follow that schedule, so the next chapter, unfortunately, won't come until July 14th. But for now...Chapter 7!

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**Chapter 7: A Layer of Discontent  
**

_Tara is seated at the prince's left side, gazing out upon her followers. They kneel before her, heads bowed in reverence. Reverence for her. Lovingly, she turns to her husband, the long white hair cascading over his shoulders but obscuring her view of his face. One strand has fallen to the back of his hand, and she reaches to pull it away. Shock when the strand won't budge. Is attached to his hand. Runs long up to the ceiling; she did not notice before. As if to remove a veil, her other hand shakes, pushing aside a curtain of white. Tara is pointedly aware of the sound of her own shriek as she sees crude features painted onto a blank canvas, should be a face, WHERE IS HIS FACE?_

_ His head lolls forward suddenly, and her attention is brought to the people before her. One by one, they raise their heads, all masked, her servants, looking up at something over her, Tara already knows what it is, but she looks up, follows the strings attached to them all up to the source._

_ The figure above her grins wickedly,she pulls the strings, blood running from the side of her head, a fresh wound, the gray skin unmistakable, the eyes colder than they ever were in life, no mercy in her expression no mercy no mercy and Tara is stumbling clawing at the ground it betrays her she has lost control falling into a darkness consumed by shadow _

_ masked faces everywhere she turns watching waiting following watching waiting following watchingwaitingNOMERCY—_

"Your Highness?"

Dazed, Tara blearily opened her eyes. That night's sleep had been rough, fraught with nightmares that still lingered in her mind. At her bedside stood a young woman with a grayish, pale complexion. In a momentary panic, Tara was jolted out of her haze only to see that this girl was different; her strawberry blonde hair was long and her eyes were cool but inviting. Nevertheless, a few stones were waiting to strike in mid-air around the poor servant. Praying that the pounding against her chest would cease, Tara eased the stones back to the ground. What was the girl's name? She knew she'd been told the girl's name. "I'm sorry...Juliana," she breathed, with a hint of a question in her voice. The girl nodded pleasantly enough. Flustered, Tara forged ahead in the conversation. "What is it?"

If Juliana was confused by what had just happened, she didn't show it; the servant girl was apparently expecting this kind of display. _Because they know I lack control, _Tara realized. The servant girl continued about her business undeterred by the outburst. "Your Highness, the prince would like to speak with you."

Tara turned to the mirror as if on instinct, hurriedly checking to ensure that she looked presentable. Though she was aware that she was the princess now, she was struggling with the idea that the prince was making a request to see _her. _The thought brought with it a burgeoning joy and a stabbing pang of guilt. She studied her reflection, noticing that a few stray strands of hair had come loose from her braids, but just as Tara reached up to reposition them, Juliana glided over and begun tending to her disheveled hair. Thin, tapering fingers made their way through smooth blonde hair as Tara looked at the girl's reflection beside her own. "Very well," said Tara, with a carefully official tone to her voice. "See him in momentarily."

Juliana said nothing, gave her the tiniest smile, and wrapped up the last of her braids into a low bun. With one final deep curtsy for the princess, Juliana opened the door and sank immediately back into her domicile position for the entering prince.

Tara's breath hitched. The prince had been handsome before, certainly, but he seemed to grow more beautiful each time she saw him. He bowed low, and Tara hastily responded with a curtsy of her own. "Princess Raven," he drawled, his voice smooth.

"Prince Malchior," she replied, a smile forming on her face. Malchior returned the smile, his one visible eye brimming with kindness. He gestured for her to follow him out, and wordlessly, Tara complied. "You may go, Juliana."

Juliana nodded curtly and exited. Malchior, leading Tara down to the dining area for breakfast, caught her eye and gave her a second welcoming smile. Tara had never seen anyone look as sincere as he did at that moment, and it melted her heart instantly. "Are your accomodations adequate?" Malchior inquired. "Rest assured that they can be changed at any time."

"Oh, no, they're wonderful," Tara gushed, walking just the slightest bit closer to the prince, yearning to close the gap. "And your ladies have cared well for me. I thank you."

"You are welcome, my lady." He frowned suddenly, throwing Tara off guard. "I ask only because you were not well. We can do anything necessary to remove your discomfort. Are you _quite_ certain that our servants are tending to your every need?"

"Yes," Tara replied jovially, but the layer of discontent in his voice when he spoke of the servant girls sent shivers down her spine. "Of course."

But Malchior seemed happy again, so Tara relaxed. "I would like to discuss something frankly with you, my dear, if you do not mind."

"Not at all." Tara's eagerness was so intense that she may as well have been shouting at him.

"My lady...your magic is surprisingly unstable." A strand of white hair fell into his eyes, and Tara was tempted to brush it away, but shuddered violently at the memory and withdrew her hand. "I had heard of your strength, undoubtedly, but with your power and your difficulty in managing it, I fear for your safety...and for the safety of my people."

Tara felt as though her heart had turned to stone. "Your Highness, I assure you, I will improve..."

Malchior chuckled now, a low, rumbling laugh that warmed Tara and frightened her simultaneously. "Forgive me, Princess, I was getting to that. I wonder if you would be willing to learn from me." Shocked, Tara opened her mouth wordlessly, unsure of how to respond. "I could teach you a great many things; you would be safer, as would my kingdom, and we could engage with each other more fully prior to the wedding. There is much to be gained from our learning together."

Tara's eyes locked onto his, and she nodded. Malchior smiled. "Very well. I must say, Princess, that you are not what I was expecting based on what we have heard. I am pleasantly surprised." Tara turned to face him directly, and he chuckled again. "You are a stunning young woman, and though you lack control, such things can easily be remedied." He began curling his fingers around the air like he was taking hold of something; puzzled, Tara tilted her head to one side and gasped. Between his slender fingers was a red rose, which Malchior held out to her. "You are exactly what the kingdom of Nol needs."

Tara couldn't speak, but the pride was virtually flooding her system as she took the rose into her own hands, examining the petals softly. When she was finally able to pull her gaze from the flower, she saw that Malchior was waiting, palm open, for her other hand.

"Come, my sweet Raven." Tara's face turned nearly as red as her latest gift, and she delicately placed her hand in Malchior's. "Your first meal awaits. Our cooks are really quite wonderful, Garth in particular is delightfully adept at handling fish..."

* * *

Juliana, upon her dismissal by the princess, wandered down toward the throne room in the hopes of relaxing a moment before being invariably assigned to yet another handmaiden's task. Tending to others in such a personal manner was frustrating to Juliana; she'd always dreamed of doing something great herself, and often found herself in charge of the wellbeing of people who already were great. Nobility, though, really wasn't her style.

On her way to the throne room, Juliana couldn't shake the feeling that someone was nearby. Rolling her eyes, she mumbled, "It must be my lucky day. Wally!"

A flash of red hair darted by. _He really milks that speed enchantment he was given for all it's worth, _Juliana thought. It felt now like a breeze had gone by; he'd brushed at her hair. "Wally, cut it out," she called playfully, only to look forward and see that Wally had already stopped abruptly just inches from her nose.

"Good morrow, Juliana!" Wally cried, kneeling before her and kissing her hand. "I come to tell you of my adventures in far-off lands, delivering messages to the most distant of kingdoms, and encountering the strangest of fellows. The messages! How urgent they were! The paths! How they wound and weaved through the forests! The maidens! How they swooned at my presence! It was all very dramatic, I assure you." He winked at her. "Want to take a seat and listen?"

"As always," Juliana replied as sarcastically as possible, though Wally knew that she was waiting on pins and needles for him to begin.

"Maybe one day, you can join me. Then you won't have to just listen anymore." Wally waited eagerly for her response, but oddly enough, didn't get one. She just stood there, a rather vacant expression on her face, and he instantly knew he had upset her. "Hey, Jule, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that—"

But he was surprised; Juliana smiled wickedly and gestured for him to follow her out of the castle. "Maybe someday. But for now, I'd like to hear exactly what you were up to with those swooning maidens."

Wally blanched. "I didn't do anything, I was just kidding..."

"I'm sure."

"No, really, I promise, Jule, on my honor as a messenger of the royal family of Nol..."

Juliana rolled her eyes playfully and opened the door. "Just tell the story."

* * *

"And that's where we're taking the geese, that pasture way over there. They want to stay together, it's in their nature, so they aren't too hard to handle. Just keep a steady pace behind them and they'll do the rest. Sound good, Tara?"

Raven grimaced. Between cleaning stables and pig slop, some of Gar's many duties, geese sounded like the least of her worries this morning. "Sure."

Gar rewarded his new assistant with a wide-toothed grin as he opened the gates to the goose pen. "Sorry you had to tag along with me. I had to get some of my other work done before I could help you, and Victor always yells at me if I come inside all dirty, so I couldn't come get you halfway through."

"It's no trouble," replied Raven, unable to tear her eyes away from the ridiculous hat that Garfield was wearing. He'd said that the purpose was to keep the sun out of his eyes, it wasn't a fashion statement, and really "Tara" should wear one as well, because it was really bright out and anyway the hat offered shade and he didn't want her to get sunburned...all the same, it really was an outrageously stupid looking hat. The brim was far too wide, and Raven was sure by the way it continued to slide down his forehead that it was also too big for Garfield. The two walked in an awkward silence for a time, in which Garfield desperately wanted to speak, but was afraid to do so, and Raven desperately prayed that Garfield wouldn't speak, but was afraid that he would begin. Finally, once they had reached the field where the geese stopped to graze, Garfield found that due to a dangerous mixture of distrust and curiosity, he could no longer hold in his questions.

"So, what's your story? How'd you end up in Nol? I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but..." He was cut off by a sharp look, but in the eyes, the girl seemed mournful for some reason. Curious, he boldly latched onto the thought and set his heart on figuring her out.

Raven did not have the same idea. "This is not up for discussion."

"Did you run away? From something bad?" Raven scoffed, watching the geese continue to pick at the grass. "Okay, did _you_ do something bad? Bad enough that you were banished from your home kingdom?" He was joking, she could tell by the spark of mischief in his eye, but the words stung enough to elicit the beginnings of a quiver in her lip. She cursed inwardly and turned her full attention to the geese, but when she looked back up, Garfield was staring her in the eyes, suddenly too close for comfort. "You were sent away."

"Not for something bad," Raven began insistently, and she cursed again. _I'm letting too much slip. _"I won't have this conversation with you, Garfield. I'm sorry." She wasn't.

The spark of mischief had been replaced with a wild determination; Garfield was not going to let this go so easily, not when he'd almost gotten her to talk. "No way, Tara. You should talk about things like this." This statement caught Raven completely off guard. They were discussing this not so that he could learn something, but for _her_ benefit? "Come on, maybe it'll help."

"I said, no." As kind as Garfield's gesture was, she had no intention of telling him anything. She'd learned once that putting your faith in others was unwise, and she didn't plan on repeating the lesson.

But Garfield would not be stopped, much to Raven's chagrin. He inched closer to her, the determination now turning to concern—_why does he care so much?—_and despite his obvious fear of her, he kept coming nearer. Raven could feel the nervousness on the boy; why wasn't he backing off? "Tara, it's okay. I promise I won't judge you."

Eyes wide with fear, Raven tried to put distance between them, but Garfield kept up his forward march. "Tara, what's the matter?" Garfield asked, his concern laced with confusion.

This had gone on long enough, in Raven's opinion. Focusing her energy on his hat (which wasn't hard to do), Raven whispered an incantation under her breath. Calling upon her power in this situation was risky, but Garfield wouldn't know any better. She would just say it was the wind. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos."

"What? Did you say something?" Before Garfield could get an answer, his hat had gone flying, picked up by an apparently rogue gust of wind and carried off far into the pasture. Relieved, Raven began to wrangle the geese to herd them back toward the castle. This lying business was going to be much harder than she thought. Ruefully, she wondered how well Tara was doing at it. _Probably a whole lot better than me. _She waited patiently for Garfield to return with his hat, which took a full ten minutes ("I couldn't catch it! I swear it was _trying to get away from me!_") and the unusual pair made their way home, a completely different silence now hanging between them.

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I apologize for the long wait. Moving and jobs often spell death for a fic, but the transition period is almost over. I hope you stick with me, because the story still has many twists and turns to make! As always, please review and help me get better! Your advice is always welcome. :) New chapter coming July 14th, mark your calendars!


	8. Chapter 8: Pale

Hey friends! The Sunday updates BEGIN NOW. I've also decided to move the review responses, etc. to the end of the chapter; this way, you have an easier time opting to just ignore them if they aren't relevant to you. If you want more blatant BBRae from me (but mostly some much needed Cy/Rae friendship), feel free to check out Funny, which is a one-shot I wrote in the middle of writing this chapter.

Thank you again for all of your love and support! Read, review, but most importantly...enjoy!

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**Chapter 8: Pale**

No matter how eccentric she may have been, no one could say that Kori wasn't good at her job. Their first major dinner for the princess was tonight (to the dismay of Kori and the cooks, Princess Raven's fainting spell had left her without appetite the previous evening) and the head housekeeper was tasting every dish, ensuring that each was perfect. The prince had had his chance to woo the princess. Dinner, however, was her time to shine.

She stopped at Victor's cooking station, where he was busily spicing what appeared to be several meat pies made with venison; extending a finger into his bowl of spices and tasting it, Kori reached up instantly for the cinnamon and began to dash it lightly over the pies.

"Cinnamon?!" Victor cried, attempting to wrench it away from her, but Kori's grip was surprisingly strong. "Kori, I appreciate the help, but cinnamon in a meat dish?"

The corners of Kori's lips curled upward. Victor did know his meats, there was no doubt about that, but she was sure that this would work. "You must trust me, Victor. The adding of the cinnamon will make the venison taste most pleasing to you. Please, permit me to continue."

With a great harrumph, Victor begrudgingly gave Kori enough space to continue spicing the meat. Kori knew by his mumblings that he was less than pleased with this new development, so she cut of a tiny portion that she had already spiced and offered it to him. "Please, taste. I seek your approval of my addition."

He looked upon the venison with disdain. Sensing that she would have to work to convince him, Kori added, "You possess the most experience in the area of cooking meat. I request that you taste and critique."

Victor's grumbling stopped, and he still looked apprehensive, but he rolled his eyes and opened his hand, inviting her. Giggling, Kori placed the small portion into the palm of his hand and watched expectantly as he chewed. At first, his eyes widened, and she feared that perhaps she had been wrong after all, but...

"I have to hand it to you, Kori, you weren't kidding." Victor glanced down at the meat pie with a wistful longing. "Now I'm wishing this were my dinner."

Swelling with pride, Kori placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. "Fear not, friend. Perhaps there shall be the left-behinds?"

"Leftovers, Kori," a voice called from behind her. Kori's long hair whipped around and hit Victor in the face as she pivoted to look at the voice's carrier.

Richard had walked into the kitchens, apparently also to check on dinner. Wishing for a moment that Richard had instead come to check on _her, _but nevertheless being overjoyed to see him, Kori curtsied sweetly. "Richard! How is the dining hall? Do you require assistance in the setting up?"

Richard shook his head, looking with a hungry eye at Victor's nearly finished meat dish. "I was looking for Garfield and Tara. His Royal Highness wants to make sure we really impress Princess Raven, and we need all hands on deck in serving tonight. They should definitely be done with their own assignments by now, and I don't have time to go hunt them down. Could you—"

"I shall fetch them!" Kori cried, too enthusiastically; she could tell by the way he was staring. Heat rose in her cheeks, and she hurriedly made her way to the door. "Permit me to go and retrieve them, I will return shortly."

Silently kicking herself for her obvious social misstep, Kori looked high and low for her friend and his new companion. She heard them before she saw them.

"Come on, Tara, I said I was sorry..."

"You took my hand. What made you think you could take my hand?"

"I was trying to be friendly!"

"Well, stop. I don't need you to be friendly."

"You are seriously impossible, do you know that?!"

Kori smiled unconsciously and waited for her friends to enter the hall, their bickering suddenly silenced by her presence. "Greetings, friends! Richard has requested that you make haste toward the kitchens."

The girl raised an eyebrow, but said nothing; Garfield, however, spoke for her. "Why?"

"We require your assistance in the serving of dinner to the royal family and Princess Raven!"

Pale. The girl was suddenly very pale. Even paler than usual. Kori frowned and reached for her, but she pulled away. "Why do you need our help?" she muttered.

"Richard has explained to me that we require all hands on the deck. It is imperative that we all make this dinner most glorious," Kori explained, still unsure of what had spooked Tara so thoroughly. "You need not fear, we shall guide you throughout the process."

Garfield was practically skipping toward the kitchens—Kori needed to remind Richard to speak with him about his dangerous fixation on the princess—but Tara almost had to be dragged.

Curious.

* * *

Raven was positive that her blood had turned to ice in her veins; that must be why it was moving so slowly. The anxious tingle in her muscles was making it difficult to even move. This was not at all how she had expected to encounter Tara for the first time since her betrayal. She needed a plan, something, anything, but the icy cold anxiety had traveled up to her brain, and she couldn't think.

She walked closely behind Garfield, choosing to ignore his obvious discomfort and the sudden color in his face. "Tara, what—"

"I'm nervous," she whispered. Despite her fear, the words felt like a lie on her lips, and she relaxed enough to keep the plate in her hands steady.

"_You're_ nervous?" It would appear that the words felt like a lie to Garfield, too. Raven responded by stepping on the back of his left ankle as she walked even closer to him, and his muffled cry of pain inexplicably made Raven feel better.

The servants in attendance were suddenly beginning to separate; they were now moving toward the royalty and preparing to serve. As Raven had positioned herself last in line, she would serve the closest person to the door; a beautifully braided head of blonde hair was visible over the closest chair, and Raven buckled at the knees before straightening up. Taking care to stay low, to avoid the eye of the prince (though he seemed not to even acknowledge the servants around him) Raven remained behind Tara and set down her plate as rapidly as she could, hiding herself behind Garfield again before Tara could manage to turn and say, "Thank you, Juliana."

As the servants retreated to the walls to await the end of dinner, Juliana turned back, confused. "Forgive my impudence, Princess. I thank you, but it was not I who served you."

Raven screwed up her face. Her skin. Tara had seen the hand that served her and assumed it was Juliana instead. Their similar complexions had momentarily saved her and, now, would be her downfall. Tara's sudden horror hit her hard, like a direct blow to Raven's skull, and Raven slunk behind Victor this time, a much larger target.

"Is something the matter, Princess?" asked a smooth voice. For reasons she couldn't articulate, Raven wished he would continue. Was that the prince?

"Oh, not at all, my Prince, I was merely distracted." Raven couldn't help smirking at Tara's predicament; though she suspected Raven's presence, Tara didn't dare say so. Nevertheless, Raven couldn't be revealed now. Though it would benefit her to make herself known, Raven needed to keep her identity a secret to keep Tara safe.

She had no choice, Tara was sure to see her otherwise, sure to panic, sparking suspicion in the prince, unwittingly killing herself, and ignoring the shocked stares and whispers from Garfield—_"What are you doing? Stay here!"—_ Raven ducked into an alcove and hid, trying to make herself as small as possible in the hopes that no one but the other servants would look for her

"Tara?" Garfield whisper-shouted, peeking around the corner. "Tara, what are you thinking? We need your help!"

"Ssssshhhh!" Raven hissed, impatient. "Go away. I'll come out to help clear the dishes, just let me be."

"Tara, it's considered disrespectful to leave before—"

Her frustration mounted. "I asked you to go. Now GO!"

Garfield's wide-eyed, terrified expression wasn't totally unwarranted, but Raven was surprised that he was still looking at her. "Garfield, what are you...?"

"Your hair," he whispered, a true whisper this time, barely more than a breath escaping his lips. "Tara, what is with your hair?"

Raven's fingers flew up to her bound locks, but they weren't in place. Instead, she noted with horror that her hair had come free and was menacingly framing her face, floating just over her shoulders and swaying with the movements of an invisible wind. "It's drafty in here," she explained, willing herself to calm down and feeling her hair slowly settle back down.

"No, it isn't," Garfield argued, back to his usual inability to whisper. Fortunately for Raven, a large, dark hand grasped the boy by the shoulder and yanked him back out of sight, but a heavy stone weight seemed to be sitting uncomfortably where her heart was supposed to be. She had allowed Garfield to get far too close, far too comfortable, and because of that, he'd seen her in a moment of weakness. But had she really allowed it? The boy had persisted in getting to know her at every turn. Could she have pushed him away, or had the effort been entirely pointless? _No matter, _she thought, with a tinge of fear, _he's suspicious now._

Raven waited in silence until she heard the soft scooting of chairs from the dining table, and moved toward the corner to see if the coast was clear, but a commanding voice made her feet stick to the ground. "There were seven of you earlier. Where is the other girl?"

Her hands were shaking, much like the voice of the girl who had just tried to sound so powerful. Raven heard, as if through a tunnel, Garfield's voice, laced with something that felt uncomfortably like desire. "She left after serving you. Why?"

Raven's panic was strangling her, but she was strangely comforted by the fact that Garfield hadn't revealed her. She felt the familiar crackle of energy starting in her fingers and prayed it wouldn't blow her cover. Tara spoke again. "I need to see her. Immediately."

Silently begging for them to keep her away, Raven listened and heard a different voice, Victor's, responding. "What was it that dissatisfied you, Princess Raven?"

The sound of her own name sent unexpected chills through Raven's body. "Her service was dreadful. I must speak with her."

"Forgive me, Your Royal Highness, but she is under my and Kori's jurisdiction." Raven was shocked at this voice, which she was sure belonged to _Richard. _Why would he be protecting her?

"Yes, indeed, Princess. I assure you that I will be doing the speaking with her when I encounter her again—"

"NO!"

The trembling, frustrated cry echoed throughout the hall, and Raven was sure that her friends were just as ready to sink into the background as she was..._my friends? _She shook off the thought and prepared to transport herself back to her quarters; surely Tara would start looking herself any second...

A tense silence hung in the air for days, months, years before Tara finally spoke again. "When you locate her, I would appreciate it if you could bring her to me. It is imperative that I speak with her."

"Absolutely, Princess," replied Garfield eagerly, but the retreating footsteps indicated that Tara either hadn't heard or hadn't cared. Once the sounds had ceased, Raven finally allowed herself to step out of the shadowy alcove. Most of her companions had gone to clear the table, but Richard and Kori stood waiting for her, grave looks on their faces. Garfield turned back for a moment, hangdog and suspicious, before continuing his task.

"Tara," Richard began, as he released an exasperated sigh. "Kori and I would like a word."

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! Mail time!

RainingPurpleHearts: Thank you! Here's hoping I didn't disappoint! The plot thickens. :)

Elsie: Ohhhh, the Terra feels. You will have them. I don't know what kind of feels they will be for you, exactly, but oh, the feels you will have. I am excited to see your reaction to some of the later chapters I have had planned, because I feel like we are kind of on the same wavelength right now. Kind of.

Anna: Thanks so much! The job is going well, thanks for the support!

Sunshineg9: Thanks! Glad I was able to engage you as a reader.

UNTIL NEXT SUNDAY :D


	9. Chapter 9: Unraveling

Sorry for the delay, amigos! I didn't have much time to work on it recently, and wanted to make sure I gave you something worth reading a little late instead of a lame, sloppy chapter on time. I never imagined that this story would be so well-received (speaking of surprisingly well-received stories, check out my new one-shot Teacups if you haven't yet!) so I didn't want to get lazy on you guys. Better late than never! EDIT: Deleted and reposted because I don't think you guys get notified when I update rather than repost a chapter, and I don't want y'all to miss it!

* * *

**Chapter 9: Unraveling**

Raven followed Richard and Kori out of the room, feeling rather like a child who had just been caught sneaking out of the house for the first time. This image was not helped by the fact that Richard and Kori were bickering softly in front of her, as if _they_ were the ones with something to hide ("She's really under _your _jurisdiction, Kori, you're going to have to handle it." "I _am _doing the 'handling of it.' You need not join me.") In an effort to ignore their lovers' quarrel, Raven turned to look at Garfield; she'd never known that one could walk guiltily until seeing him shuffle away into the kitchen with the dishes he'd cleared. When his eyes met hers one last time before he left the hall, Raven scoffed and ignored him. She hadn't forgotten the emotions she'd felt from Garfield when he offered to bring Raven to Tara...well, if he wanted an impostor princess, he could have one.

Richard and Kori stopped in an empty corridor on the way to the servants' quarters, and, having apparently settled their dispute, faced Raven. Kori's eyes were wide, confused, but ultimately suspicious. Richard, on the other hand, had no room to show anything but apprehension. "Tara, your behavior at dinner this evening was inexcusable," he began, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Agreed." Raven was surprised to hear this stern voice come from someone as gentle as Kori. She'd straightened her back and raised her chin, a position that surely would have intimidated a less controlled individual. "Your distasteful actions have brought shame upon yourself. Upon us all."

Shyly, Raven bowed her head. "I apologize. I was not myself."

Richard looked at Kori, who seemed unsure of herself. He breathed deeply and gave a long, slow exhale. "I would like to remind you, Tara, that you were taken in as a kindness. You requested a place here when Garfield brought you to us, and you were given one. We have entrusted you with helping us to care for the castle."

At the word "entrusted," Raven felt very small. "I know that, I—"

"You have been welcomed into our family," said Kori with finality, her beautiful green eyes blazing. "I do not think it unreasonable that you behave as such. We have done the looking outward for you, and you must reciprocate by doing your duty as..."

But Raven could hardly hear her, wasn't paying attention, had stopped breathing. _Family?_ The word was practically foreign. Her mother was her family, certainly, but she'd hardly shown any affection toward her only daughter. These people knew nothing about her, knew nothing of her curse, didn't even know her real _name, _and yet they called her "family."

Raven didn't feel small: she felt miniscule. If she shrank any more, she would surely disappear between the floorboards.

"Tara? Do you understand what we're telling you?"

Richard's serious tone cracked through her scattered thoughts like a whip. "I do, Richard. I am truly sorry for the way I acted in the dining hall. It won't happen again."

Kori's lips curved into a muted smile, and she placed a hand on Richard's shoulder. Though his emotions were shockingly well controlled for a normal man, Raven felt his embarrassment breeze through her like a summer zephyr. "That's good. However, an apology is not going to get you off the hook. Why did you hide from the princess tonight? She asked for you and you did not come forward." Raven looked away, sensing that his eyes hadn't left her face. "That is a very serious offense."

"Forgive me, Richard, I..." Raven's mind raced for an excuse. "I'm unaccustomed to dealing with royalty. It was merely nerves."

Kori's heart seemed to melt, and she looked pleadingly at Richard, but he was unconvinced. His eyes registered all of the suspicious thoughts in his head, but all Richard said out loud was, "Don't let it happen again."

Without another word, Richard continued down the hallway toward their chambers. Kori hung back for a moment, words hanging on her lips, but she eventually followed. Embarrassed, hurt, and grateful all at once, Raven turned the corner back toward the kitchens to help in cleaning the dining hall; she was immediately met with a fleshy barrier and both she and it crashed to the ground.

"Sorry, Tara," the thing mumbled, and upon hearing his voice, Raven wanted nothing more than to walk by without acknowledging him. "I didn't see you there."

Raven stood and dusted herself off, glaring down at Garfield. "Why am I not surprised?"

As usual, he appeared indignant at her remark, but when she tried to walk around him, Garfield wouldn't allow her to pass. "Where are you going?"

"I _was _going to help you all with the cleaning after dinner," she hissed, trickling in as much meanness into each word as she could muster. "Let me by."

"No," he replied, a fire in his stare. "Besides, we're all done. Karen and Victor are just finishing up the dishes."

Raven was growing tired of Garfield's stubbornness. He'd seemed so innocent and bumbling when they'd met; apparently, her show of magic had caused him to change his demeanor. "Garfield, I am going to ask you one more time. Let. Me. By."

He shook his head and held out his arms, making himself into a scrawny blockade. Garfield seemed deadly serious, but couldn't help grinning toothily at his prey. "I'll only say it one more time: No."

Raven attempted to duck under his arms, push him out of her way, shove him to the ground, and even kick him, but Garfield stopped her at every turn. Years of working with the animals had made Garfield strong, much stronger than Raven. Finally, when Raven landed a well-thrown punch at his jaw, Garfield grabbed her wrists and held them tightly. Blushing furiously, Raven whispered, "Garfield, let me go, now, or you are going to regret it."

"Why are you so stubborn?!" he cried. She struggled, but he only gripped her more tightly.

Raven could feel her power forcing itself out of her, against her wishes, and despite her mounting anger toward the boy before her, she expended as much energy as possible trying to quell it. "Garfield. Let. Go."

He was in so much danger, and he had no idea. He simply shook his head. "Not until you tell me what your problem is!"

"This is not a _game_," she replied dangerously. Raven couldn't hold back much longer. "If you don't release me, you're going to get hurt."

Garfield's gaze was steady, and his hold was firm. "By what?"

The voices were whispering in her ears again, like a rushing wind hungry for blood. Willing her soul to calm, Raven looked up into his eyes and found, to her horror, that the voices choked and died away. "Garfield, please," she whispered softly, with a timidity that alarmed even her. Immediately, Garfield relented, his right hand moving toward her face.

"Tara, I'm sorry, I thought that if I tried hard enough to get you to talk to me, you'd—"

She flinched at the contact of his fingertips on her cheekbone, and he pulled back his hand. "You were wrong," Raven spat, finally giving up and turning back toward the servants' quarters. She felt his hurt, his bewilderment, and his churning mind. She did not care.

* * *

Garfield did not move; he only stood stock still in the corridor, slowly processing his last encounter with the fiery, infuriating, fragile new goose girl.

Something was very wrong. Even his brainless self knew that. She'd wandered into town, lost and angry and looking for a place to stay, but Tara hadn't chosen to stay just anywhere; she'd wanted the castle. Tara didn't talk to him about her past, nor did she want to talk to him about her present, and he knew that if she had her way, he wouldn't ever ask about her future.

And the wind. The wind always seemed to pick up around her. What did that mean? It was bad, but Garfield suspected magic. There was no other explanation for Tara's floating hair in the dining room without an open window in sight. It was unbelievable, a stretch, because if she was a sorceress, that meant she had to be high-born, and a high-born girl had no place in the field, tending geese.

As a mane of blond, braided hair passed his frozen form, he realized with a jolt that a high-born girl had no place in the servants' quarters, either.

"Princess! What are you doing down here?"

She turned around, and for a split second he swore that her eyes glowed. He felt a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. The princess was truly awe-inspiring. "This is no place for royalty! A beautiful lady like you doesn't need to see this..." Princess Raven kept her distance, but her face softened. Garfield swallowed; he was suddenly thirsty and the room had gotten uncomfortably warm. "Let me take you back upstairs."

Her eyebrows sloped down, toward her nose, and Garfield realized he hadn't addressed her properly. "My apologies, Your Royal Highness, forgive me, I was hoping to help you, uh, I mean, I figured that you were lost, and, um, I'm so sorry, and..." The tips of his ears were burning as his humiliation peaked, but miraculously, her hand met her lips, and Garfield was sure he heard her giggle.

"It's quite all right," she replied. "Please, lead the way."

Garfield nearly swooned. Gripping the edge of the wall for stability, he began to make his way back toward the dining hall. _Say something, Garfield! Anything! _His tongue was dry, and his lips wouldn't move. Princess Raven seemed to find the whole thing incredibly amusing; she was biting her lip and kept looking in his direction over her shoulder.

"I don't think that I got your name?" The princess blinked her light blue eyes at him attractively, and Garfield forced himself to find the words he needed.

"I'm, uh, Garfield, Princess." He grinned at her, but her eyes weren't on him anymore, and he blushed. Of course she didn't really have any interest in him; maybe he shouldn't have said anything at all.

"Garfield." Princess Raven seemed like she was trying out the name on her tongue. Garfield watched her closely, inching slightly closer as they walked up the stairs and into the main hall. "Well, Garfield, I appreciate your assistance. I suppose I must have lost my way trying to get back to my room."

To her room? There was absolutely no way she could have thought her tower room was down a flight of stairs; nevertheless, Garfield bowed low from the waist, spotting Victor and Karen out of the corner of his eye. "It was my pleasure, Your Royal Highness," Garfield said, hoping that his fellow servants would walk by without a word, yet knowing that this was wishful thinking. To add another layer of strangeness to the scene before them, the princess didn't just walk away; she curtsied sweetly, the action singlehandedly painting Garfield's cheeks a vivid crimson.

He couldn't look away as she left the hall, in the proper direction this time, and so he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a large hand on his shoulder. "Garfield," Victor began, seeming unsure of what to say for the first time since Garfield had met him.

Garfield just looked up at his best friend, trying to put all of his frustrating emotions into one meaningful glance. Victor responded with an enveloping hug, and Garfield made every effort not to wish that he were held by the princess instead.

* * *

Another chapter complete! Side note...have any of you seen this Teen Titans Go BBRae news?! Allegedly there's a rumor going around about some future episodes (both from an incorrect episode description and from Comic Con) I'm freaking out a little. Even if they address it by having them broken up and killing each other by the end of the episode, I'll be content just to have the ship acknowledged! Time for MAIL

Guest: Thank you! Sorry for the delay.

Anna: Thanks! The Tara/Raven confrontation is COMING, I promise. And Richard may have gone easy today, but he's not through, either.

Sunshineg9: Literary? Thank you! I think that is a good thing...? Good luck with the time machine! :D

Elsie: Your reviews are always super eloquent and fun to read. I agree with your villain thoughts...again, that reaction. The Terra feels. I'm already having them just thinking about the future of this story.

Gweneveire: It's crazy getting a review from you, because I am in LOVE with 21! Thank you so much! I can't wait for your updates, either. I like this!

CowabungaBooyakasha: Nice penname. :D And thanks for the feedback on my other oneshots, too! You are too kind.

Next update will be ON TIME this time, I have much more time this week to ensure that it will be to my standards and ready by Sunday! Until then :)


	10. Chapter 10: Bruised and Broken

Without further ado...

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**Chapter 10: Bruised and Broken**

At the top of the stairs, Tara turned back to take one last look at the boy before he retreated down the corridor with his fellows. She had been able to tell by his wistful gaze, his eagerness to please, and though Tara felt pity for him, she could not afford to look out for anyone but herself. Besides, Garfield's affection meant that she had an ally in the castle: someone who truly cared about her wellbeing, and who would be devastated to see her in danger. Despite her guilt at taking advantage of him, Tara found the thought oddly comforting. At least one person was looking out for her.

She felt cold, suddenly, and shuddered as her mind turned to _her. _Tara was going to need an ally with her stalking the halls. It had been a stupid mistake, leaving her alive. Killing her would have ensured her safety, but the image of the nightmare princess sprawled across the ground, limbs haphazardly bent, her face bruised and broken, was too much to bear. Already she saw it in her sleep; Tara could not fathom the possibility of seeing it in her waking life, too.

_Breathe, _Tara told herself sharply. She was almost there. The prince's eyes had not left hers through dinner, and the regent seemed to approve, if his satisfied grin was any indication. But there was so much left to chance. Would the prince notice, eventually, that she focused her "magic" on only one type of object? How much longer would the enchantment last, anyway? Queen Arella had told her that the gift was, in fact, temporary. Would it last until the wedding, or would Tara wake up tomorrow morning and reach for a stone, only to be met with no reaction at all...If that were the case...Horrified, Tara wrenched her mind away from the morbid possibilities before her and forced herself to continue toward her chambers.

Just as she reached for her door, Tara spotted Prince Malchior coming down the hall. The familiar shake of the ground as it responded to Tara's fear was more consoling than anything the prince could have said to her. When she set her eyes on him, Malchior immediately bowed from the waist. "Good evening, my lady."

"Good evening, Your Highness," Tara replied, beginning another delicate curtsy. She was shocked to feel the prince's hand on her chin, lifting her head to face him.

He'd never been so intimate with her before.

"My sweet Raven," he drawled, his fingers leaving her face. "Forgive me, I would have sent a servant girl for you under normal circumstances, but this is urgent. I must speak with you immediately." Malchior gestured down the corridor from which he had just emerged. "If it please you."

Tara only swallowed, choking back the bitter taste of half-digested venison. What was so urgent that he'd come to find her personally, with no servants in sight? "Y-yes, of course, Your Highness."

The nervous jitter was deep, settling comfortably in Tara's bones. Every step that she took seemed to thunder through the hall, the sound slamming again and again on the walls of her skull. Unsuccessfully, Tara tried to mask her labored breathing, but her lungs couldn't get enough air; no matter how much she took in, it was only moments before the air was spasmodically forced back out. The prince wasn't speaking to her, wasn't even looking at her. She wanted to run. She wanted to cry. She wanted to retch. She wanted to stay immobile in the hall forever. She wanted to die.

After what felt like years, Malchior finally stopped before a heavy-looking door. For the first time since they had begun their walk, Malchior turned his attention to the girl behind him, his features etched with concern. "Something troubles you, Princess?"

Tara shook her head, fighting back tears. "No, Your Highness."

He still wore the same expression, but opened the door for Tara all the same. "Enter."

She did, unable to hold back a gasp. The room she had entered was decorated with small roses, each of which lit the room with its own golden glow, as if they were ablaze. Blinking lights fluttered through the air; when one landed on her wrist, Tara realized that they were fireflies. Whatever this room was, it did not look like a prison. Tara instantly relaxed and reached out for one of the roses, which shied away from her hand.

"They are not for you," said Malchior gravely. In a panic, Tara whirled around and was met with Malchior's outstretched arm. In his palm was a vibrant, yellow rose. "This one is." His eyes lowered, focusing on the gift, and he nodded slowly toward it, inviting her to come forward.

Encouraged by Malchior's gesture, Tara gently touched her fingertips to the rose. It twisted, both growing and contorting at the same time, reshaping itself into a shining, golden circlet. Along its two intertwining edges were vines, engraved with leaves and thorns, and in the center of the circlet rested a ruby emblazoned with a rose. Tara was mesmerized, running her fingers over the smooth surface, her eyes never leaving the circlet.

"It is beautiful, Your Highness," Tara breathed.

"It is yours," he replied simply, gently grasping the circlet and placing it delicately on her head. "It is the traditional headpiece worn by the Queen of Nol."

Tara's breath hitched and she stared, wide-eyed, at the prince. "My sweet Raven, do you still not understand?" He took her hand in his and smiled. "I, Prince Malchior of Nol, and my kingdom, are yours if you will have them."

It was everything she had ever dreamed, and yet, Tara hesitated for a moment before smiling back. "I will."

* * *

"I'm telling you, she's hiding something. Something big," cried Garfield indignantly, looking from Victor to Richard for approval.

Victor frowned, and Garfield knew that his best friend's innate compassion was taking over. "The girl's obviously got something wrong with her, but I don't think she's hiding anything. She's just scared, Gar."

"She's scared because she's got a secret! You haven't seen the things I've seen, you don't know her the way I know her!" At this, Richard raised an eyebrow, and Victor snorted. "It's not like that!" Garfield continued, groaning and sending a glare Victor's way. He turned pleadingly to Richard. "Look, Tara is fragile and scared and everything that Victor thinks she is, but she's not. Things happen when she's around. Creepy things. It gets windy around her sometimes, even inside." At the memory of her hair taking a life of its own, Garfield shivered. "I'm sure that it's her that's making it happen."

Victor, ever protective, scoffed. "That's ridiculous, Gar, you're just saying that because the princess got upset with her tonight. Your little crush has gotten out of hand."

Garfield shook his head rapidly, as if he held a small animal in his teeth and refused to let go. "No, I mean it. Tara's really hiding something. And I don't have a crush," he added bitterly, embarrassed by Victor's sudden outburst.

Victor crossed his arms in front of his chest, unconvinced, but Richard was studying Garfield, processing everything he'd been told. "Are you sure, Garfield? If she's truly doing magic, that would mean that she's—"

"Highborn," Garfield exclaimed, nodding. "She'd have to be. They're the only ones who are ever gifted with magic from a royal family."

"What about Wally?" Victor interjected. "He's been given an enchantment so that he can travel faster. He's not highborn."

"No," agreed Richard, "but he was knighted. Even though he wasn't born noble, he is now."

"Tara wouldn't tell me where she was from," Garfield said, trying to regain the momentum he'd lost from Victor's interruption, "and the way she talked about her home, it sounded like she was banished or something."

"It does seem to fit," Richard admitted slowly. Garfield stuck his tongue out at Victor, who rolled his eyes.

"But what would a highborn girl...a highborn _mage_...want here? Why would she come to another castle, in another kingdom, and work as a servant girl?"

Victor's statement forced Garfield to admit to himself that he hadn't thought that far into it. Even if he was right about her birth, why _was _she here? And at the same time as the princess? "Maybe..." Garfield's senses suddenly went into overdrive at his realization, and his head became unusually focused and clear. "Maybe Princess Raven is the one who banished her! And Tara's come for revenge!"

At this, Victor openly laughed, and Richard's former understanding seemed to have disappeared. "Garfield," Richard began, "I think that's taking it a little far."

Garfield opened his mouth to reply, but Victor stopped him. "You're letting your imagination run away with you, little man. Maybe you should relax. These girls apparently have you all riled up."

"I'm still planning on keeping an eye on her," Richard said reassuringly, "but I think it's best if we keep wild speculation to a minimum. Your suspicions seem justified, but that's really all we have right now." He looked Garfield in the eye now, a logician's calculated gaze. "I'm going to keep looking into her story, but in the meantime, you need to stay close to her."

Garfield winced, still shaken from his last encounter with the girl. "Are you sure that I should be the one to—"

"Kori seems to think that Tara likes you," Richard said firmly.

"A _lot._" Victor waggled his eyebrows suggestively, earning him a sharp elbow jab from Garfield.

"And anyway," their leader continued, unfettered by the bickering that was about to erupt before him, "Tara's working with you. No matter how she feels about you, it's undeniable that you're going to be spending the most time with her."

Frustrated and embarrassed, Garfield mumbled indistinct words of assent, and opted to continue his sulking in his cot. Kori's alleged words left Garfield confused and utterly frustrated. If Tara held any kind of affection for him, she sure had a strange way of showing it. She creeped him out, ignored him or yelled at him at every turn, and on top of all that, he _still_ hadn't gotten so much as a chuckle out of her.

_Wait...why do I _care?

As the rather odd thought struck him, Garfield's ears were assaulted by the sound of trumpets, a fanfare. "A royal announcement!" Richard cried, jumping up unnecessarily. "Victor, Garfield..."

"We know," the two said in unison, exchanging glances at their friend's highly diligent attitude. They followed Richard out into the corridor, unable to keep themselves from laughing even in the wake of their dispute.

* * *

When the trumpets sounded, Kori had summoned all of the servant women, Raven included, and led them up to the throne room, insisting that some sort of announcement was to be made and that all of her staff were to be on their "most excellent and honorable behavior." She'd made no secret of her concern that Raven wouldn't be able to deliver on this command, and had hung uncomfortably close to her for the full duration of the walk from the servants' chambers. Garfield, to her frustration, did the same, saying nothing but shiftily looking at her from the corner of his eye. Raven coolly ignored him and continued her steely silence even when they stood together in waiting for the coming announcement.

Her resolve was broken, however, when Garfield softly whispered, "Sorry about earlier."

"Whatever," Raven replied, but the feeling of his hands around her wrists and his concerned, frustrated, forest green eyes brought an involuntary color to her cheeks. Seeming to be content with this response, Garfield smirked and turned back toward the throne, where the prince, regent, and "princess" were coming forward. For a moment, Raven thought that her eyes found Tara's. The two were motionless, but a few small stones rose from the ground at Tara's feet, and Raven's fingertips sparked briefly, forcing her to hide her hands in her apron.

Regent Lord Fantino strode forward, arms open. "People of Castle Nol!" he cried, his booming, pleasant voice echoing throughout the hall. "You have been called this evening in celebration of the upcoming union of two great kingdoms. Princess Raven of Azarath has just accepted His Royal Highness Prince Malchior's offer of marriage!"

The prince took Tara's hand, smiling with a warmth that Raven did not realize he possessed. The jubilation of the people was evident, but rolling off of Garfield in waves was an air of disappointment, humiliation, and pain. Raven's blood boiled inexplicably, and an odd, shaky sensation began somewhere just beneath her ribcage. Dispelling the feeling and convincing herself that she'd simply adopted his frustration as her own, Raven returned her focus to the regent's announcement.

Fantino raised a hand, instantly quelling the crowd. "Queen Arella of Azarath has been notified," he continued. Behind him, Sir Wallace stood proudly, winking at the girl next to Kori (Raven was sure it was directed at her, anyway, because the girl in question had snorted indelicately and put her hands on her hips.) "The royal wedding will be held in five days' time, and preparations must be taken for the queen's arrival."

_The queen's arrival._

Everything around Raven seemed to slow, but it felt as though there was no time to react. She saw Tara's eyes roll back into her head, and servants rushing to her unsteady form as Prince Malchior leaned in to calm his betrothed. Raven distantly heard Garfield's scream as Tara tumbled forward down the steps to the floor of the hall. It did not matter that her former friend was probably now bruised and broken, or that Raven had tried so desperately to hide her own identity until Tara was safe, that she'd planned to keep her alive. If the queen traveled to Nol, the false princess was worse than dead.

* * *

THE ALREADY COMPLICATED PLOT BECOMES...more complicated. Who would have guessed?

MeowSaysKat: Thank you so much! Yes, Terra isn't really doing herself any favors right now, huh?

Guest: Awww, thanks!

moreorlessanonymous: I had a HUGE book with every Grimm Brothers story ever, but it's disappeared. :( But I was a little obsessed when I was young, and obviously my love for the Titans is still going strong, so we're kind of in the same boat! Thank you!

K-chan's Kisses: Thanks! I've always felt it's a very underrated fairy tale, with a super disturbing ending. But still cool!

Elsie: Thank you so much! I struggled with Kori for a while (particularly how badass I wanted to make her) and I decided that I wanted her warrior nature to be underplayed here because in this 'verse, she doesn't have that same background. But I didn't want to make her a total wimp, either, so we have a more muted version of Starfire: authoritative and confident, but ultimately sympathetic. Also, I kind of love the idea you've posed. Maybe a deleted/requested scenes fic is in order once this one is done? hmmmmmm

Anna: YAY SOMEONE ELSE IS EXCITED. I've heard the New 52 is just...weird. Should probably still give it a try, though! And thanks for the words of wisdom. Funny coincidence that this chapter ended up being done early!

CowabungaBooyakasha: A pregnant Raven...ooooooohhhhhhhhhh nooooooooo you just wrote me another fic

BBxRae forever: Thanks! I'm planning on it. :D

Until next time :)


	11. Chapter 11: People to Protect

Hello, my little bumgorfs! Something I wanted to share with you all: I noticed that my random one-shots have almost always been published on a Wednesday. So, I bring you...ONESHOT WEDNESDAYS. There will not be a oneshot _every _Wednesday, but when I post one, it will continue to always be on a Wednesday. And there's one coming up this Wednesday. You have been warned.

P.S. For Oneshot Wednesday, I am willing to take requests, so long as they are clean. Lots of you are pretty young, so y'all will have to get your lemony freshness elsewhere.

PSA complete. Also we've reached over 3,200 views and 50 reviews and lots and lots of follows and favorites! I love you guys. Here's Chapter 11!

* * *

**Chapter 11: People to Protect**

The princess was weak, panicked, and pale, and no one could figure out why. Juliana, along with Karen, had been asked to tend to her until her condition improved, but there was no such sign. After absently fluffing the princess's pillow and bowing her head as Princess Raven laid herself down to sleep her anxieties away, Juliana took a seat beside Karen. The girl's expression was unreadable, and considering her own conflicted emotions, Juliana was sure her own face looked the same. They waited until the princess's breathing slowed and followed a regular tempo before turning to each other, exchanging nervous glances.

"I'm worried about the princess. This is her second fainting spell this week," Karen muttered.

Juliana snorted. "She's just touchy. All these royal types have a flair for the dramatic." Nevertheless, Juliana stole a glance at the princess's face, which seemed anguished even in sleep. "But it is odd. It seems like more than pre-wedding jitters to me." She searched Karen's eyes for agreement, and was profoundly relieved when Karen nodded quickly.

"I know what you mean. She seems disoriented. Gar was walking her to her room from the corridor leading to the servants' quarters this afternoon, but he insisted that she was trying to get back to her room and got lost."

Juliana felt the color drain from her face. "Alone?"

Karen nodded again.

"How could he be so stupid? A male servant alone with the princess, what would the other nobles think? Did he talk to her?" A third nod. "You don't think that Gar said anything he shouldn't have, do you? If he startled her with some idiotic declaration of love and she sees fit to tell the prince..."

"I would hope not. Vic is concerned," Karen agreed with a slight blush, her eyes set on the rise and fall of the princess's chest. "At first it just seemed like an innocent infatuation, but Gar never stops looking at her, and we all saw him at the proclamation tonight, he's genuinely hurting over her marriage. Not to mention that he was a little too worried about her little fall. Gar's going to end up swinging if the prince catches wind of his—"

"_Don't_," Juliana whispered with a shudder. She didn't mention that she knew this fear well as she stood and moved for the door; for her flirtatious messenger boy, a well-placed wink or sly comment at a queen or princess was par for the course. Why couldn't these boys be more careful with their affections? "Come on, she seems alright now. We should rest." Juliana offered a knowing smile. "Wouldn't want Victor to start worrying about you."

Karen huffed, pouting at Juliana's friendly ribbing, and walked out, finding herself at the northeastern corner of the main castle. She curtsied at the guard who stood a little way down the corridor out of courtesy to the princess and her privacy. Juliana did the same once the princess's door was closed, and they began their trek back to their own chambers. They were silent, so as not to disturb the other nobles and royalty who slept in this part of the castle.

_Who should be sleeping, anyway, _Juliana thought as she saw a sliver of light coming from the prince's chambers. His own guard was nowhere to be seen. _Strange..._

What was stranger, however, were the words that were coming from the lit room. "It has felt amiss ever since she arrived, Fantino."

They stopped short just beyond the door, Juliana looking to Karen for confirmation that she wasn't hearing things. Juliana knew that they should leave, knew that these words were not for their ears, but neither girl could budge.

"Something feels wrong," whispered the prince gravely. "There is a presence in the castle that perplexes me, something that should and should not be here."

"Magical?" Fantino's normally bright voice was low, much lower than Juliana would have thought possible.

There was a pause before Malchior continued. "I cannot be sure. It comes and goes, as though it is oft concealed. It stems from an individual, of that I am certain."

"Could it be the princess?"

"No, though she worries me in equal measure," Malchior replied, now sorrowful. "Her energy is waning. I fear that her continued stress is causing her magic to weaken and drain from her, but the issue cannot be resolved. She insists on her good health." There was another, longer pause before his voice dropped again. "It is imperative that her condition improve if we are to continue our marriage and confirm our alliance with—"

Azarath, naturally—that was the whole point of royal engagements, after all—but Juliana didn't get to hear him finish that sentence. The dull clunk of a royal guard's footfalls as he returned to his post was more than enough to set the girls moving again, both of their minds reeling at what they had just heard. If the prince was worried about an unknown magical presence in the castle...

Inexplicably, Juliana smirked. Things were finally starting to get interesting around here.

* * *

Raven breathed deeply, muttering her mantra under her breath. Her quarters were empty right now, but it was only a matter of time before the other girls returned to sleep, and she needed every second of meditation that she could get.

There was almost no way to hide it from them, and the lack of regular, full meditation was taking its toll. Raven cringed at the thought of her last, unexpected meeting with Gar; if he'd pushed her for another moment, she would have lost control...right? She was hit with a sudden wave of memory, heat crawling up her neck as she remembered the instant peace she had felt after seeing, _feeling_ his concern through his eyes. The unexplained calm that washed over her. Raven had never experienced such a phenomenon before, and the only way to figure out how it had happened was through slow, careful thinking.

_Or you could always try to experience it again, _Raven thought to herself, the beginnings of a smile forming on her lips before her eyes flew open and her chant died in her throat. She didn't know where that thought had come from, but she took special care to mentally crush it into a fine powder with a chorus of _no's. _Settling back into position, Raven closed her eyes, continued her mantra, and definitely did not think about how much easier this would be if Garfield would come and calm her again.

A hand touched her shoulder, and Raven leapt out of her skin. A neat, long crack formed in the stone wall across the room and Raven whirled around to meet her attacker's eyes.

"Forgive me!" Kori retracted her hand as though she'd been burned. "You appeared to be sleeping, but you were sitting upright and I believed I could hear you speaking. I feared that you needed the comforting, so I—"

"Don't _ever _do that again," Raven whispered fiercely, her right hand at her heart and her left gripping her cot for stability. Keeping these foolish people safe from themselves was almost becoming more trouble than it was worth.

"My apologies," Kori said meekly, but Raven could feel anger bubbling behind that confusion. "I was merely trying to assist you."

Raven sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. The girl didn't know any better, and with luck, she wouldn't until Tara was far out of Malchior's range. If she ignored her, maybe she would go away.

"I wish to understand." Kori fiddled with her skirt nervously. "Why is it that you get the nerves around royalty?"

Taken aback by Kori's bluntness, Raven looked at her, unable to suppress her shock. "I'd rather not talk about it."

Kori was hesitant, clearly wishing to continue their conversation. To Raven's surprise, she cast her eyes downward. "I understand, but I am...disappointed. If we are to continue working together, it is crucial that we not keep the secrets, yes?"

For reasons unknown, Raven felt her heart beginning to break for this girl. Kori certainly knew how to get what she wanted. "Look, I'm not trying to keep secrets from you, I'd just rather not talk about it."

"I see," Kori said, in a calculating manner that sounded odd coming from her. "Then perhaps we should discuss something else." She raised an eyebrow and a devilish smirk graced her features. "How has working with Garfield been? The two of you have rarely been seen apart since your arrival."

Raven coughed on nothing in particular. "Believe me, that's not by choice."

"Oh? I have been beneath the impression that you are quite capable of voicing your displeasure with your assignment if that is necessary. Or is that also part of 'the nerves'?"

That smile was anything but innocent, and Raven knew it. Flushing pink, she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I don't want to talk about this, either."

Kori's smile turned sweet, and she managed to make resting her elbows on her knees and holding her chin with her hands look triumphant. "He is quite kind, honestly."

"If by 'kind' you mean 'an outrageously immature pest', then I agree with you."

"I am not always the best with words, but I am certain that is not what I mean." There was no change in her expression, but Raven suddenly felt worried, and knew Kori must be feeling the same. "I fear that his kindness is not being put to the right use, however. If what Richard tells me is true, then Garfield may be placing himself in grave danger. He has grown too fond of Princess Raven, too close."

Raven scoffed, thinking of how Richard would react if he knew how near to the real princess that the entire serving staff had been. As for Garfield, she had already felt the uncomfortable waves of desire and embarrassment from Garfield each time Tara passed, but hearing it confirmed out loud somehow made things...different.

Kori turned back toward Raven, questioning. "Please, Tara. I know that there is much that you do not wish to divulge. I know that you do not think of us as friends." Raven looked away at the bitter sadness in Kori's voice. "But you and Garfield possess the closeness, whether or not you desire it. It was he who took you in, and it is he who has found a place for you here. If I am not mistaken, you owe him some sort of favor in return."

When Raven did not reply, Kori's demeanor became stony and fierce. "As your head housekeeper, I must request that you do the looking out for him. We shall protect him together. And if not..." A fire appeared to be roaring in Kori's heart. "I shall protect him without you."

_I have enough people to protect without adding that little menace to the list, _Raven thought bitterly, but for the first time since coming to Castle Nol, Raven was honestly intimidated by the woman in front of her. She could not afford to be on this girl's bad side any longer; if Kori saw fit to have Raven removed, there would be no possibility for her to be stealthy in her rescue and replacement of Tara. If protecting Tara meant protecting Garfield, too, she had no choice. Begrudgingly, Raven nodded. "Of course I will."

Kori instantly brightened, and surprisingly, enveloped the strange girl in a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you, Tara," she whispered, and for all her coldness, Raven couldn't help feeling for a moment that she could actually belong with these people.

* * *

"Victor."

The harsh whisper was grating in his ears, but he didn't want to get up. "Please, no more meat pie," he mumbled, rolling over.

"Victor."

He grumbled, swatting softly at whoever was making the noise. "Nooooooooo..."

For his troubles, Victor was granted a hard blow to the side of the head. "_Victor!"_

Victor sat up like a shot, searching for the source of his discomfort. "What? Who? What's going on?"

A woman shushed him. "Victor, it's me."

"Karen?" he whispered, unconsciously straightening his back and puffing out his chest. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here at night, you should be in the girls' chambers!"

"I have to tell you something. Juliana and I..." She stopped, as if trying to figure out the best way to tell him. "We were walking down here from Princess Raven's bedchambers, and we heard the prince talking with Lord Fantino. He feels another magical presence in the castle."

If he hadn't been awake before, Victor was wide awake now. He glanced at Garfield's sleeping form next to him, curled up tightly and catlike as usual. "Another magical presence? Besides the princess, you mean."

Karen looked deadly serious. "One that has been trying to conceal itself."

"You're sure?"

"Have I been wrong before?"

Hoping desperately that it wasn't true, but seeing no alternative, he looked at Garfield one more time. Victor would let him sleep; now wasn't the time to tell him. "No."

That didn't stop him from wishing she was wrong _now._

* * *

It's getting real, guys. Also, your reviews make me smile.

Gweneveire: Thanks! Hopefully I will be able to keep you guys guessing. The adaptation became a lot more loose as I went along, and it's showing no signs of slowing down. Glad to hear you're always eager for Sunday! :D

K-star: I don't know if Tara's decision was the smartest thing in the world, but to me, it was more impulsive and rushed than stupid. Kind of like her other decisions in canon. But yes, not a good plan! Excited to see what y'all think of what I have in store for her.

Elsie: The fainting makes me laugh, and THE FLOWERS ARE...just cool. _For now_. muahahahaha. I do not even want to know how much Gar's head will spin by the end of this. Actually, I do.

Anna: Arella makes everything more difficult. I anticipate having a lot of fun with those chapters.

K'chan's Kisses: YES THE ROYAL BUTT KICKING. It will be glorious. Or will it?

CowabungaBooyakasha: Ohhhh Arella. And her disapproval. And the rhymes. (Did you see Of Waffles and Secrets? IT'S BASED ON YOUR LAST REVIEW. :O)

BBxRae forever: Thank you. People who aren't fans of BBRae are lying to themselves...not really. To be honest, I ship BB and happiness, so on the show, whoever makes him happy is cool. I just need it to be Raven in my mind.

Guest: YAY!

TheInsaneAcrobat: You weren't at all rambly, or pointless. Though Raven would say that everything's pointless. I update pretty regularly, so at least you won't be left with a dead fic (finding old, beautiful ones and realizing they're unfinished and dead just makes me sad) Thank you for your words of encouragement! :)


	12. Chapter 12: Closer

Hi guys! Late chapter is late; I didn't have enough time to finish this one by Sunday. Again, I prefer good chapters to timely chapters, so hopefully I've still delivered! Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Closer**

Garfield couldn't stop thinking about the princess. He would do anything to ensure that her condition improved, but as a male servant, he wasn't allowed anywhere near her to see. Their encounter in the corridor had been lucky, a fluke, but Garfield found himself praying for another stroke of luck more frequently than could be considered normal. Shaking his head, he hoisted up another bucket of water and poured it slowly into the drinking trough for the pigs, hearing a clunk beside him over the sounds of rushing water. _Tara must be back with another_, he mused.

He saw Tara's hand go to her face out of the corner of his eye; Garfield turned to check on her despite his dislike of her, unable to help his curiosity. Tara's eyes were bloodshot, spider webs of red etched along the white. She was jumpy, like a spooked horse, and pulled her hand down in fear when he turned his head. Her violet hair was in disarray; evidently, she'd spent most of the night tossing and turning instead of sleeping. Startled at her appearance, Garfield dropped the bucket and moved toward her. He chose to ignore for a moment the squealing of the pig he'd scared with his sudden movement. "Tara, what's wrong?"

She didn't back away—most likely a good sign—but Garfield saw the beginnings of a flinch. "Can't you just leave me alone?"

It was as good as an admission for Tara. "You look like death. Obviously something's going on."

"Get away from me."

"Tara." It was only at that moment that Garfield noticed that he had moved close enough to see all the lavender striations in her irises, the rich violet beneath, and the thin silver streaks that made her eyes shine. What was it about this girl that drew him in so closely even as she glared at him? Tara seemed to have noticed, too, because she glanced down sharply and held her upper arms, closing herself off.

Forcing a mouthful of saliva down his throat, which had become mysteriously dry, Garfield tried to continue. "Tara, I know you sort of hate me, and you're not my favorite person either, but if you would just talk to me, I think we could—"

"I just didn't sleep well," she sighed, still refusing to look back up at him. "It's no big dramatic ordeal."

He rolled his eyes at her, prepared to give up for the first time since they'd met. "Fine," Garfield huffed, grabbing his hat and shoving it forcefully on his head in preparation for the bright sun that awaited them. "Let's just take the geese out and then you can go be miserable somewhere else."

He felt it instantly, an unmistakable shift in the atmosphere, but he didn't bother to say anything; Tara would probably just lie again anyway. "I'd be glad to," she spat, her eyebrows knotted in frustration. "Your hat is idiotic, by the way."

"Thank you!" he cried angrily, and the geese started running from him at an alarming pace.

"That wasn't a compliment."

"I KNOW WHAT IT WAS!"

"Don't you dare yell at me," Tara said harshly. Garfield noticed her hands tightening into balls. "You're the one who always insists on—"

"On being polite?" Her stance didn't change, but her eyes opened wider for an instant. "On trying to include you? Do you know why I brought you here? You were wandering the town center like a lost puppy, and you looked like you needed something, and you _said _you needed something, and then once you got here you decided you were going to be mean and sarcastic and..._you_! What is _wrong_ with you?!"

She broke, Garfield could see it in her face, and he wished he hadn't shouted. "You have no idea what is _wrong _with me," she hissed.

"That's because you won't tell me!" Garfield gave her a withering look. "Why were you sent away, Tara? Your bad attitude?"

Garfield was sure he saw her irises change, but it must have just been the light. "I won't tell you because I can't tell you," Tara said, the edge still in her voice. "Even if I could, I wouldn't."

"Why not?"

Tara sighed, frowned, looked up to the sky for guidance, wrung her hands, and finally gave Garfield a piercing look. "Because if you knew why I was sent away, I would be taken from you, and I have to protect you. Is that a good enough answer for you?"

_Me? _Garfield froze, not understanding what she meant. He'd been right, she had been sent away for something bad, something for which she could be removed from her service, but her shaking hands made the victory feel hollow. He felt the wind taking hold of his hat again as Tara turned away, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "Tara, what are you talking about?"

"Don't." It was an order, not a request. Reluctantly, he complied, backing away and listening to her ragged breathing.

"Was it your family that sent you?"

No reply. The lack of a snarky comment meant that the answer was a resounding yes.

"Why did they send you, Tara?"

"It's not safe for you to be near me, Garfield. If I tell you, people will get hurt. Please stop."

Tara wouldn't admit it, but she was begging. Empathy expanded in his chest, and he spoke.

"My parents died when I was little," Garfield began slowly, gauging her reaction. When she didn't move to stop him, he continued. "I didn't know what to do, and no one seemed willing to take in a boy my age. The landowner had shooed me out of the house with my parents still in it. I wandered out into the fields looking for some sign, where to go next. I saw a flock of sheep out there, and I ran over as fast as I could to pet one. The ewe I found was soft and pretty, so I sat with her a while and pet her ears. I've always liked animals," he clarified, as if it were necessary. "I felt better for a moment until I heard an old man yelling at me. Something about getting away from the royal family's sheep. I asked if I could stay and play with them for a bit, and I guess he was impressed that she hadn't run away from me, and before I knew it, I was his apprentice."

She still wasn't talking, but she was looking at him now, and that was all the encouragement that Garfield needed. "His name was Arthur. A really nice guy. He taught me everything I know about these animals." He didn't mention how Arthur had called him "son" instead of "boy," or the way he'd gripped Garfield's shoulder and nodded when he did something right. "And then we were out with the horses, walking them around a bit, and he just collapsed." Garfield hesistated, reminded instantly of the princess's fall, and was shocked to see Tara twitch, almost like she was...about to reach for him? She didn't. "Everyone I cared about was dying, it seemed like. I thought I must be bad luck or something."

Tara was silent for a long time, but she looked like she was studying him closely, as if he were the unexpected epilogue to a book she'd thought she'd finished. "I'm sorry," she said finally, and it felt like she meant it. Garfield still didn't think she liked him very much, and he wasn't sure what exactly this scattered conversation had accomplished, but the air between them was different; the wind was calmer.

Garfield was too close to her again, and she wasn't retreating like she always did. Tara looked resigned, understanding. A momentary urge to grab her fiercely swept over him, but he didn't think he was angry with her. Tara's eyes were eerily big, almost creepy, her hair obnoxiously shiny, her skin maddeningly soft-looking. Why was it making him angry? "Um, let's go back inside," he muttered, thrown by the bubbling emotion in his chest.

She followed him silently as always, but walked closer to him than she ever had before.

* * *

The day had gone by far too quickly, in Tara's opinion. Only four days now stood between herself and her wedding day; that also meant that four days stood between herself and Queen Arella, leaving her only four days to come up with a plan.

The prince's smile, thankfully, made her forget that. "Lord Fantino tells me that our head housekeeper is quite a splendid decorator; her plans for our wedding are apparently wondrous. I will be sure to send thanks to her through the steward, if only I could remember her name..."

"Kori, I believe, my prince." Tara understood that Prince Malchior had many servants, but the fact that he could not remember the name of his head housekeeper was unsettling for some reason. Queen Arella had always known the names of her serving staff, particularly the steward and head housekeeper. Shuddering at the thought of Queen Arella, she continued down the corridor and attempted to leave the thought behind.

"Ah, yes, of course. Kori." He beamed at her. "This is why you will make such a wonderful queen, Princess. You are able to stand tall where I fall short."

"You fall short nowhere, Prince Malchior," Tara replied politely, going smoothly through the motions of courtly sweetness and humility. In this, she knew that she succeeded where the _real_ princess fell short...and blinked rapidly as if to remove this vision from her eyes by force. Why was she thinking about them _now_?

"You are too kind, my sweet Raven," Malchior said with a chuckle, taking her arm in his and escorting her further. "I'm quite glad the rumors about you were untrue."

Tara paused. "Rumors?"

"You haven't heard? Come, you must have known at some point. They say that your curse has made you cold, impassive, challenging. I was merely stating that I am relieved that you possess more than just beauty. Some of the fault is my own, of course," he sighed, meeting her gaze. "I should have known better than to believe it for a moment. Nothing but the idle gossip of the peasantry."

Tara tittered sweetly, trying to mask her own fear. "Indeed, my prince."

From around the corner, the steward approached—_Richard, _she made a point to make sure she remembered it—and, upon seeing them, bowed deeply. "Your Royal Highness, I beg your pardon, but my Lord requests your presence immediately. There is news from—"

"Do you not see that I walk with the princess?" Malchior said, his voice cold. Tara was jarred by the change, but Richard's face was unmoving, and she could hardly suppress her surprise. "Well? Answer me."

"I do, Your Royal Highness," Richard said carefully. Tara couldn't help thinking that Richard was walking familiar territory, a thought that was confirmed when he abruptly bowed again. "I will see to it that my Lord is given the message."

"Thank you. You are dismissed."

Bewildered, Tara stared at Richard as he walked away, then unabashedly gawked at the prince. "Forgive me, Prince Malchior, I am merely unsure of what has happened here."

"It is none of your concern." His voice was still sharp, and Tara winced. At the sound, something in his eyes changed, and he took her face in his hands. "Forgive me, my sweet Raven, forgive me. I only meant that you need not worry. Richard simply knows that Lord Fantino's request to see me, when I must escort you to your chamber, is unreasonable. Let us continue."

Tara nodded, but the feeling stayed with her. She also felt empty, unusually so, and decided that she must be overexhausted. When they arrived at her door, the prince bowed as usual, but embraced her when he rose from it. She had never been so close to him before.

"Goodnight, my sweet Raven," he whispered as he broke away from her.

Jumping at the butterflies in her stomach and blushing, Tara curtsied and ducked quickly into her chamber. As she leaned into the door, she sighed contentedly; Raven hadn't made herself known, and she'd been in the castle for a few days now. The princess had waited too long, and now, if she revealed herself, no one would believe her. Sleepily, she began her nightly ritual of testing her magic. Tara had done it every night since she arrived, ensuring that all was well before calling for Juliana's assistance. She focused what was left of her tired, fragile mind outward, reaching for the tiles below her and waiting for the familiar rumble that meant another restful night.

Nothing stirred.

Lightning seemed to strike her heart and sent a shockwave through her limbs. Frantically—_no, no, no_—Tara threw out a hand and focused her energies on a loose tile near her feet—_it can't be now, it's too soon, they will know that I'm_—but to no avail.

"No," she moaned softly, resorting to feeling for loose earth on the floor with her palm flat against the cold stone. Tara slammed her hands against the stone, reaching, straining, forcing her soul out of herself in desperation, but she no longer felt the power flow through her veins, no longer gripped the earth tightly. Tugging at her hair, Tara crumpled to the floor, clawing at the ground with her free hand and biting her tongue to prevent herself from shrieking. The metallic taste of her own blood brought bile into her throat, and she retched violently into her chamberpot, salty tears mixing in with the other unsavory tastes in her mouth. "No, no, no, no..."

A sharp, loud creaking sound caused Tara to sit up so quickly that she felt her vertebrae crack. In her doorway stood a lone figure, a shadow until it took shape. "It's worn off, hasn't it?"

* * *

Lilybud: Thank you so much! Your many compliments leave me blushing. I'm so glad you love the story! (And yes, Karen is Bumblebee.) Also, in response to another story's review regarding Oneshot Wednesdays, the answer is YES. Kid Flash and Jinx/JeriKole coming your way in the coming weeks!

Anna: SECRETS. Things will continue to get interesting. Can't wait to see how you react to later chapters!

TheInsaneAcrobat: Thank you! Reading a lot helps with grammatical learnings and the like. I'm very picky with the fanfiction I read because the grammar is frequently difficult (however, that's probably bad because the goal is to learn, too...maybe we grammarians should start being less snobby and teach the grammar to fic writers instead!)

moreorlessanonymous: Aww, I'm flattered! Personally, I've been floored by the sheer amount of feedback on this story (and all of my stories, really...but mostly this one.) I also like slow relationships. They are painful to watch but really fun to write! You guys are so wonderful!

Elsie: Malchior's thankfully not after any of us. Phew! Thanks for the thoughts on Kori, and as for Victor...poor big brother Cy! I love saddling him with the tough stuff, because he's mature enough to handle it.

Guest: Thanks!

sunshineg9: I was wondering how that body ended up at my doorstep. Hope you're doing better now, what with the not being sickened and the bipolar Jazzies and the etc. etc.!

TigerLily957: Thank you so much! Such high praise! I try to go off the beaten path when I can. I'm happy you love it!

elixxxrAngel: Thanks! Sorry you actually ended up waiting longer than usual. *trying to get better at this whole timeliness thing*


	13. Chapter 13: One More

**Chapter 13: One More**

"Get away from me, get away..."

Raven could see the madness in the way Tara's eyes bulged, and her bent posture made her look feral. She had expected anger, possibly fear, but she hadn't anticipated this: the disheveled hair, the raspy speech, the haunted eyes. Tara was aching, a deep, spiritual ache.

Yet Raven could not summon any compassion as she closed the door and stepped forward. "You knew this would happen eventually."

"I didn't think it would be so soon," Tara whispered before she could stop herself. The moment that she heard her own words, Tara backed away again, her right hand automatically coming up and facing Raven. Her fingers faltered for a second, as if she'd forgotten something, but her arm did not come down.

"Mother must have been hoping I would stay," Raven replied shortly, ignoring the mournful feeling in her chest. "And I will stay, for a time, anyway. Long enough to sort this out. You, on the other hand—"

"You're going to come forward?" Tara asked, her eyes almost bursting from her skull.

"Of course I'm going to come forward." Raven heard her mother's finality in her words, and the mournful feeling grew stronger. "The royal family will be angry enough that they were deceived by one false princess. Imagine their fury if they met with no princess at all. I would bring doom upon my kingdom if I left."

"They won't believe you," Tara choked out, and Raven tilted her head.

"Tara, in case you haven't heard, my mother will be arriving shortly for my wedding, and she will be more than happy to confirm my identity. Where do you want to be when that happens? Safe in another kingdom or dead by your prince's hand?"

Tara wavered like a leaf in the wind, but Raven steadied her with a shadowy hand. "That's enough of that," she said sharply. "You need to run. Now. I've learned a spell that can transport you to any..."

"I won't go," Tara replied, standing tall. "The prince loves me, and I love him."

"You think that will save you?" Raven willed herself not to scream the words. "The moment he learns what you are, he will show no mercy. You'll be killed faster than you will see him raise his blade. If you want to live, you will run."

Raven watched Tara shake, her hands pulling at her hair again as she scanned the room. "I can't, Raven, I can't, I can't..."

"Tara." Raven lowered her voice in an effort to calm the frantic girl. "If you choose to leave, I can take you to any kingdom you choose. You can make a new life for yourself. You have a chance to live." She looked briefly at the door; she thought she'd sensed something farther down the hall. "If you choose to stay, your death is guaranteed, and you have, at most, until moonrise tomorrow. The choice is yours."

Realization spread over Tara's face, and, unsteady, she sat on the edge of her bed. The unhinged look that she had sported since Raven set foot in her room had given way to something altogether more innocent; overshadowing her apparent madness was a look of terror. She seemed dizzy, disoriented. There was still agony in her face, but it was resigned. She understood. Finally, Tara bit her lip. "One more day."

"What?!" cried Raven, incredulous. "You can't have one more day. You're powerless. You'll be discovered and killed before nightfall."

"I can keep this up for one more day," said Tara, looking deadly serious. "I just...I need to say goodbye."

Raven couldn't believe her ears. "Your life for a goodbye?"

"I didn't expect it to end tonight." Tara's eyes were glistening, so Raven looked away. "I need this, Raven."

The room was spinning. Everything she had done, all of her work to keep her safe, was being thrown away by Tara's desperate need to say goodbye—Raven knew it was a need because the intensity of the feeling was overwhelming. She wanted to say no, or to knock her out and whisk her away herself, but Tara looked lost, and Raven was awash with the sensation of a familiar feeling. She'd felt this forlorn emotion on Tara before, since they were children. It was indescribably lonely. Now that she thought of it, she knew nothing of Tara's home before their home castle, or her family. Did she even have one before she invented one for herself?

"I knew you wouldn't understand," Tara muttered finally, beginning to take down her elaborately braided hair. "I'll just—"

"I'm the unwanted cursed princess." Raven breathed slowly. "I understand better than anyone."

Both girls were silent, staring at each other and waiting for one of them to make the next move. Finally, Raven slowly crossed the room, reaching out with a dark energy. Tara flinched from the contact, trying to flee, but the unmistakable shudder of an individual infused with magic told Raven that she'd been successful.

"That won't last you more than a day or two," Raven said matter-of-factly, "so you can't try to stay any longer than that. I'll try to stay hidden for tomorrow only. After then, if you don't allow me to take you to safety, I will have no choice but to let you die." Taking a grim satisfaction in the way Tara jumped, Raven turned on the spot, intending to leave the room as quickly as possible.

"Raven?" She stopped before opening the door. "Why didn't you come forward when you arrived?"

"Because your head would have been given to me on a platter the next morning if I did."

Tara shook visibly. "I know, but..." She had that haunted look again. "Why did you care about that? After... what I did."

The blonde girl looked up expectantly for a moment, then sharply turned her head. Raven sighed; she'd asked herself this question many times, and come up with just as many answers. "You could have killed me, but you left me alive," Raven replied, settling on the coldest answer she could give. "I'm only returning the favor."

Tara nodded slowly, apparently mulling something over, and Raven instantly knew that she couldn't bear whatever it was that Tara wanted to say. Without giving her the chance to speak, Raven quickly pulled the door open and shut it behind her, refusing to give Tara another glance.

Once she turned to head toward the servants' chambers, Raven jumped; just outside the door stood a slight girl with a grayish complexion. "Juliana," Raven breathed, squashing her bewilderment as quickly as she could. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm preparing to tend to the princess," Juliana replied in a dangerously silky tone. "What are you doing here?"

"The princess appeared...distraught." It wasn't a lie. Juliana narrowed her eyes all the same.

"She did. She certainly sounded distraught." Raven was nearly knocked to the ground by the suspicion radiating from Juliana. "You took it upon yourself to care for her?"

"Of course I did. The princess's wellbeing is of the utmost importance, and _you_ were not there to assist her," Raven snapped, hoping that her sharp tongue would wound Juliana enough to distract her from her line of questioning.

As Raven had expected, Juliana flushed, but a subtle chill still hung in the air. "I see," she whispered, glaring. "I will apologize to the princess myself."

Raven brushed past Juliana and strode forward as quickly as she could, but stopped cold when Juliana said "My apologies, Princess."

She hadn't yet heard the creak of Tara's bedroom door.

* * *

"Victor, are you sure?"

"Karen wouldn't lie to me. What she and Juliana heard is true."

Richard paused, looking to Kori for her opinion. "This is serious. Tara being a mage is enough grounds for suspicion, but the fact that she's been trying to conceal it from the prince..."

Kori frowned. "But why would she hide her magic from the prince? She has no reason to do so, unless—"

"Unless her motives are less than innocent," Victor replied darkly, his eyes flicking to the door as he watched for Garfield. Richard noticed the movement immediately and raised an eyebrow.

"We need to tell him about this," he said sadly, watching Victor deflate at his words. "He needs to know."

"I know, but..." Victor sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Today, they seemed so much better."

Richard had to admit that he was right. Upon Tara's arrival, it was clear to all involved that she and Garfield had inexplicably bonded and butted heads at the same time. Their connection had been forgotten for a spell, it seemed, but today, things had changed. They were better than civil...they were _friendly. _It had seemed like Tara, mage or no, would be able to work alongside them in peace. Perhaps, in time, they could have overlooked her mysterious past. _Now, however, _thought Richard, _we have no choice._

"No," said Kori suddenly, and her expression was nothing less than blazing. "Garfield is damaged enough. He need not suffer any more of the distress and pain."

Thunderstruck by her ferocity, Richard looked to Victor, but he too was nodding grimly. "I agree. The boy's got too much on his mind as it is. We can handle this one ourselves."

Richard tried his best not to show how flabbergasted he was at their behavior. "But Garfield deserves to—"

"He deserves to be content for another night," Kori said, her speech terse. "He deserves to be protected. We shall not inform him of this development."

Victor didn't look like he was going to budge on this issue. Unable to mask his frustration, Richard groaned, but Kori put her hand on his shoulder and everything changed. He felt giddy; her touch always had this effect on him, and though he would never tell, he was sure that he knew why.

More important matters were still at hand, however. "We need to tell the regent," Richard said hotly, and this time, Kori nodded her approval. He swelled with pride at her assent, but out of the corner of his eye, Richard saw a tear forming; he'd forgotten that Kori had liked the girl, had hoped that they too could have a bond. "Kori, I—"

"It must be done," she replied, holding up a hand to prevent him from consoling her. He wasn't sure why the action hurt so much. "But I feel a great...sorrow. Might we ask her to clarify her reasoning, explain to us why she has been afraid to come forward?"

"She was uncomfortable around the royal family, remember? If she's a mage, she likely knows that the prince can sense her magic. Having to conceal her magic in such close proximity would cause stress."

"I still don't understand what she could be doing, though," Victor muttered, looking like he was trying to work it out in his head. "It seems like she must be doing something that she can't have the prince discovering, but what?"

"A good point, Victor, but that part is none of our concern." Richard conveyed the gravity of the situation with his low voice. "The regent and the prince will want to know who is hiding her magic from them, no matter what the reason."

Victor didn't disagree, but there was something in his face that looked like discontent. Even Kori, ever compassionate, didn't come to the girl's defense again, and Richard was sure he'd won. "We defended her once," continued Richard. "She's proven that she didn't deserve it. They need to know now."

Kori took his hand, and Victor closed his eyes, nodding. Richard grasped Kori's hand firmly. None of them liked it, but they stood together now, knowing what needed to be done. "Allow her one more night," whispered Kori, so quietly that Richard jumped. "Do not tell them tonight. Garfield can have one more night of peace. Please."

Richard didn't want this, they needed to tell them immediately, they should have told them the moment they knew something was strange about the girl, but Kori's eyes were pleading. He withered at her gaze, swallowed his words, and squeezed her hand. "One more night."

* * *

Raven turned slowly. Juliana was wide-eyed, fearful, but stood firm. Straightening her back and raising her chin slightly, Raven boldly fixed her eyes on Juliana.

"You are to say nothing about what you heard," said Raven coolly, putting as much ice into her words as possible despite her growing panic.

"Am I?" Juliana replied, evidently still in shock. "It is my duty to inform my prince. Why should I keep her secret?"

Raven took a step forward, allowing her eyes to glow a menacing white. "I gave you an order," she murmured, her voice low and commanding, "and your prince has given you clear instructions to obey the princess."

* * *

Quick note: I don't hate Terra as a character. Honestly and truly. In fact, I can relate to cartoon Terra. However, in order for this story to make any kind of sense, she had to be worse than she is in the show. She's meant to have characteristics of both her comic book self (incarnation #1, anyway: cold, calculating, and cruel) and her cartoon self (misguided and easily preyed upon by stronger personalities) Them's is the facts of life right there. I hope that Terra lovers forgive me!

Lilybud: Thank you! I try to be good about reviews for Goose Girl (I am not always as good about reviews for my oneshots...I'm trying to improve on that front!) Glad you've been enjoying it so far!

Smartgirl1718: Every Sunday, girl! :D Thanks for the plot love!

elixxxrAngel: Cliffhangerssssss...they are unnaturally fun for me. They are one of the only constants in life (aka reading.)

K-chan's Kisses: Thank you! So happy that it's one of your faves.

TheInsaneAcrobat: I always feel a little guilty when I'm late, but I'm glad you understand my reasoning. You guys are so great! As for the love triangle...no spoilers but it's about to get really real. hehehehehe

Anna: I hope I didn't disappoint with regard to the girls' conversation. I didn't want them to be besties right away, but a screaming match in the middle of the castle didn't make sense to me either. And Malchior UGH y'all better get ready

Elsie: Animals make SO MUCH MORE SENSE. My puppies are so uncomplicated and then people are just bleh. I totally sympathize with Gar there. Thank you!

CowabungaBooyakasha: You do not yet know the meaning of "dramaticalness"...that is ALL :D

Guest: Oh snap is right! It's finally getting real.


	14. Chapter 14: The Final Grains of Sand

Quick note: I now have a tumblr, on which I will post all of my fandom feels, any and all fic updates (including any lateness, which I don't like to post here because I feel like I'm faking you guys out with a not real chapter) and will be taking asks (anonymous or otherwise.) It's just more open to communication than FF, so I'm excited to include it as a way for us all to connect. YAY CONNECTIONS. Come say hi! The link is on my FF profile page.

* * *

**Chapter 14: The Final Grains of Sand**

No one slept easy that night.

Kori hadn't even fallen asleep yet, her breathing still quick and uneven as she laid in the cot beside hers. Juliana was understandably shaken, and tossed and turned relentlessly, while Karen's uneasy sleep seemed to be punctuated with the occasional nightmare, based on the negativity emanating from the girl. In the boys' chambers, the faint auras of Richard and Victor were distraught and dark, harder to fully read from a distance but strong enough to sense. Only Garfield seemed to be the same as usual, but that only meant that his feelings of worry and affection were still seeping into the air. Raven could feel everything, and had the added misfortune of knowing what it meant.

Her "friends" were onto her.

To her credit, Juliana did not seem to have told any of them what was truly happening. Her early protestation at her inclusion in the secret was quickly silenced when Raven explained to her the painful and bloody repercussions of disobeying a member of the royal family. Even when Kori had pleaded with Juliana to confess the reason for her shaking hands and bloodshot eyes, Juliana only glanced at Raven for a second before muttering something about stress. The look was not missed by anyone in the room. Raven was sure in that moment that they suspected her, certainly they did, but they did not _know_, and knowing was an entirely different matter. Without evidence, the words of her fellow servants would fall on deaf ears; Raven could only hope that if they were fool enough to make any accusations, their words would not earn them any punishment.

Her fellows did not know everything that was going on in their castle. That did not change the fact that Raven and Tara were worse than out of time. In truth, the final grains of sand in their hourglass had already fallen, and the two were running on the time it would take for someone to notice. Tara's insistence that she properly leave the very place that Raven knew would swallow her whole made her task even harder.

Kori still wasn't asleep, the only other waking aura in the girls' chambers. Frustrated, Raven tried deliberately to convince her that there was no point in staying awake; she kept herself still, attempting to slowly pace the rise and fall of her chest.

"Tara?"

Cursing mentally, Raven pretended not to hear.

"Tara."

Raven kept her frustration from affecting her breathing as best she could.

"Tara." The whispered voice came closer, Raven realized, and a soft hand was trying to shake her from sleep.

Unable to maintain the facade any longer, Raven blearily opened an eye to see her head housekeeper's flaming red hair hanging just above her face. "What is it, Kori?"

Under normal circumstances, Kori would have hesitated, or attempted to speak more gently. Raven saw that Kori did none of these things, but instead chose to hoist her up by her upper arm. "Please walk with me." There was no hint of a question in the girl's voice.

"Kori, we aren't allowed to wander around the castle at night," Raven whispered, trying to pull free and finding that Kori was, to her disappointment, stronger than she looked.

"I have no intention of walking the castle."

With a quiet ferocity, Kori opened the door to the boys' chambers and dragged Raven inside. Raven contented herself with a quick emotional sweep; all of them were asleep, thank Azar, but that didn't explain what was happening.

When Raven turned to face Kori with a silent question, Kori frowned. "Do you not understand why I have brought you here?"

A comically loud snore from Victor, and Raven shook her head.

"Look at him."

Raven wasn't sure how she knew which "him" she was meant to look at, but she instinctively turned to Garfield. Lines of concern painted his face, and despite the warmth of the room, he trembled in his sleep. He turned over for the second time in a minute, his jaw clenched. The turn caused the blanket to fall away slightly, exposing his bare chest, toned and sculpted from so many years of hard labor..._toned?_

"Your secrets worry him," Kori hissed, apparently not seeing Raven's furiously red blush. "They worry all of us, truly, but he has confessed to me that he fears for your wellbeing."

He was that concerned about her? Raven supposed that she had known, somewhere, but the news of his concern made her bones ache and she wanted to stretch, as if something had woken up. "Why are you telling me this?"

Kori spoke, cold and clear. "I offer you one chance to inform me of the nature of your secret. If your reason is honest and true, then perhaps Richard will not tell the regent that you have been concealing your magical prowess from him. If not, then I suggest you do the praying for the prince's mercy."

When Raven said nothing, Kori continued. "This will hurt him, if you choose to keep your secrets any longer, and we have made a pact to protect Garfield."

"I have no magic," Raven said, feeling the lie fill the air and suffocate them both. "That's the truth of it, and you have no evidence to the contrary."

"I do not," Kori admitted, her face stony. "But from what I have gathered, Garfield does."

Adrenaline pumped through her system, but Raven's heart felt as though it had slowed. If Richard came forward, Garfield would be called to testify before any action would be taken. Belief in his confession meant that Raven would be discovered, which would spell death for Tara, so Raven would have to cast enough doubt. If he came forward with a false story...

"He has nothing," Raven said, but she didn't believe it. He had enough to raise suspicion.

"If he is not believed..." Kori changed, heartbroken. "Our prince has killed for less."

They didn't know. They had no idea what they were doing, any of them. Tara couldn't afford another day, not with this looming over them now; she had to run tonight, now, yesterday...and there wasn't time. Tara was unprepared. Richard was sentencing himself and Garfield to death if Raven could manage to keep Tara safe, a task that was looking more and more like a miracle every second. Even if she was able to drag Tara out of bed and send her away tonight without being detected by the guards or sensed by Malchior, the servants would be hurt, possibly killed, for not coming forward sooner. And Raven hadn't even thought of her own consequences. Who knew what would happen to _her_?

The only way to stop the turmoil in her mind was to make everything silent. She closed her eyes, sat against the wall, and breathed. After a long wait, Kori sighed, tears filling her eyes as she reluctantly turned back toward the girls' chambers, ready to cry herself to sleep over a grim tomorrow. Raven knew that there were a thousand worse tomorrows before them.

* * *

Well, she supposed she'd gotten what she wanted. She was a part of something important now.

Juliana was buried under the weight of the princess's secret and didn't even have the satisfaction of knowing what the purpose was. She didn't know who the impostor was, or why she meant so much to the true princess, and why Princess Raven wouldn't reveal her, hadn't yet revealed her. The questions haunted her even in dreams.

It felt wrong. The impostor needed to be revealed, but Juliana couldn't see how. Princess Raven was bent on protecting her, and had magic to do so when words weren't enough. The other servants suspected that Raven was up to something illicit, but they also still thought she was a wayward mage called Tara, so their counsel was useless.

When she woke, the sun still had yet to rise, and the other servant girls still slept, even the princess. Juliana opened the door and walked without needing to know where her feet took her.

The staircases wound and turned, and guards waited around every corner, but Juliana knew these halls. It always seemed to be her luck that no one was around the corners she wanted to turn; Juliana didn't know if that made her lucky, or them unlucky. Tonight, it didn't matter. She was only thankful for it.

When she found herself at the right corridor, she saw that Sir Wallace's guard had fallen asleep: the final necessary stroke of luck. His door would be unlocked, she knew it would be; she'd made this walk before. Slowly, Juliana pushed the door open, careful to slip through, quiet and catlike. Hardly knowing what she did, Juliana felt herself shaking Wally awake, heard her own frantic whisper of his name without feeling it escape her throat, watched him stir from outside herself.

"Well, hello, beautiful," Wally murmured with a knowing grin. "Couldn't even wait for me to wake up before you—"

"Quiet, you idiot." He winked, and she pushed him. Now was not the time for banter. "I need to tell you something."

Her urgency must have gotten through to him, because the joking left his face, leaving behind only earnestness. "Jule?"

"Do you think there's anything...odd...about the princess?"

Wally frowned. "I thought so when she first got here. She really looks nothing like her mother. Nothing at all. But I guess that's the curse, like she said. People say the curse also made the princess cold, but looking at the queen, it seems inherited. But Princess Raven's turned out to be nothing like her. In looks, in personality..."

"She isn't anything like the queen because..." Juliana remembered the princess's glowing eyes, her threats, the danger, and her bravery left her. "I think that...I think that the princess is in trouble."

There was no shock in Wally's face, and that alone made Juliana wary. "I think so, too."

"You do?"

Wally nodded, his face uncharacteristically grim. "The prince has been sending a lot of messages lately."

That couldn't be right. Wally was their only messenger; he'd been given the enchantment, good at his work, trusted by the prince for ages. He had hardly left the castle, except for the day he'd brought the news of the upcoming wedding to the Queen of Azarath. "But...you've been here," Juliana said, numb.

"They haven't been going through me."

Through the open window, Juliana watched the sun rise, slowly. Even it seemed to be apprehensive.

* * *

Tara had never dreaded a sunrise more in her life.

Today would be harder than anything she had ever known. She was leaving it all behind just as quickly as she had gotten it, with hardly any word and all in secret. She wondered for a moment if the people would miss her. Maybe when they saw Raven, they'd clamor for her to return...

The thought was ridiculous, so much so that even her broken mind could tell. What would life be like outside a castle? As a commoner? Would she spend her life walking the kingdoms? Tara could meet new people in each new land, see things that even Raven would never be able to see. It would be hard, much harder than her life in the castle, but at least she could live without wondering when she would be discovered. A sense of wanderlust filled up within her, and suddenly, leaving didn't seem so bad.

But she was scared. She'd never lived alone before; even her former life as a lady-in-waiting in Azarath had been relatively comfortable, even if Tara had spent half of it tending to the cursed princess. And Malchior...would she always love him? Would she spend her life pining for a man she could never have? This was unbearable. She couldn't leave, not now; she almost thought for a moment that she'd rather die than leave this. She _hated_ Raven. Trying not to sob, Tara opened the doors that led to her balcony and stepped outside. The sun was rising higher in the sky. She had nothing but borrowed time now, and didn't even know what she would do when it ran out.

From her balcony, she saw two figures leading sheep: the boy—Garfield—and Raven.

The boy.

_The boy._

And from nothing, there was a plan.

* * *

Next chapter: the dreaded last day. Please, as usual, let me know what you think! The sheer number of reviews, follows, and views on this story have been INSANE, more than I ever imagined for a beginning fanfic writer. I have you guys to thank for that. Again, best readers in. The. World.

Lilybud: Thank you! I feel like I just keep piling on stress for you guys. The knot will unravel...eventually.

Gweneveire: Perfect?! Awwww...thank you! Your wait is over, but now the new wait begins. Until next Sunday!

TheInsaneAcrobat: YAYS. Happy birthday, btw! Hope it was a good one. And there ain't nothing wrong with being eccentric, JUST LOOK AT ME.

Anna: Thanks! Tara's characterization is HARD, mostly because she had to change to fit the story, but I'm glad that I've achieved something looking like balance. As for Gar and Raven...I will say nothing.

CowabungaBooyakasha: But cliffhangers are so much fun to write (of course, I know what will happen next, and you don't.) Don't take it away from me! :D

moreorlessanonymous: Your birthday, too?! This fandom has had enough birthdays lately. LOL

K-chan's Kisses: I guess when this is over...um, I actually haven't thought about what I will do next, I've been so wrapped up in this. I suspect another chaptered story will emerge in time. :) I'm glad you're still enjoying this!

Elsie: Well-meaning and lovable they may be, but they're driving Raven crazy (and me too!) Eventually this mess will get cleaned up, sort of. hehehe

Julia: Thank you! There's still plenty of chapters to come, so never fear. :)

BBxRae forever: Thank you ! Raven and Beast Boy do rock. :D Also TTG has convinced me that Robin and Cyborg are slowly becoming my favorite characters in that canon. TITAN TESTTTTTTT

Xaphrin: Oh wow! Thank you! I'm so glad you feel you can speak so highly of little ol' me. Here's hoping I can continue to deliver!


	15. Chapter 15: Oaths, Requests, Commands

Hello, friends! An update: "Deaf and Dumb," a JeriKole oneshot set in this same 'verse, is coming out Wednesday, and some unrelated Flinx in the normal 'verse the Wednesday after that. I'll be putting it up here and linking to it on my Tumblr (speaking of which, COME LOVE ME AND SAY HI/ASK ME STUPID QUESTIONS BECAUSE I LOVE YOU GUYS. Even you guests can do it...anonssss :D link is on my profile!)

* * *

**Chapter 15: Oaths, Requests, Commands**

Kori had stopped crying, but the end of her tears left her with a hollowness in her breast as she scrubbed away at the floor with an intense ferocity. She knew that Tara's power had to be discussed with the regent. She knew that Richard's position as steward made his word at least somewhat more important than that of the average servant. She knew that Richard was smart and confident and serious about keeping them all safe, and knew how to make sure that the regent took him seriously as well.

But Kori also knew that he was determined, and would stop at nothing if it meant learning Tara's true purpose and seeing justice done. He was reckless, often diving headfirst into a problem and only making it seem like he'd weighed every option carefully. In those times, Richard was a danger to himself, and Kori feared that he was about to take a risk from which there would be no coming back.

A cool hand rested on her shoulder, and Kori heard Juliana's voice, soothing and soft. "It'll be okay."

It was a lie. "It will not." The hollow feeling remained, but she felt her eyes filling up with tears again, just when she'd thought she had no more to cry.

"Richard knows what he's doing."

"He does not. She is being cruel," Kori choked, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "She has doomed us all if their words are seen as falsehoods."

Juliana became strange at these words. Her left eye twitched, as if Kori had left a sour taste in her mouth, and she wasn't meeting Kori's gaze any longer. "There is something which you do not wish to tell me," Kori said, as she realized it.

"No," Juliana said, too hastily.

Kori didn't know what to make of it. "Juliana...what do you know?"

It did not matter what lie came from Juliana next; Kori had an uncanny ability to sense a lie, and eyes that forced people to tell the truth._ People who are not Tara, at any rate_. When Juliana did not respond, Kori pressed on. "I insist that you share your information with me. Immediately." Still nothing. "I do this not as your friend, but as your superior."

"I'm sworn to secrecy."

Kori narrowed her eyes. "By whom?"

Juliana frowned. "By the princess."

"The princess?" Kori felt something stirring within her, a dogged persistence that would not leave her until she discovered the truth. Perhaps this was how Richard felt when he had caught the scent of mystery in the air. "Juliana, I insist that—"

"I can't disobey orders, Kori," Juliana sighed. "Please, just trust me. If the princess does as she says she will...the boys will be safe. We'll all be safe. But for that to happen, I have to keep silent."

Kori was through with trusting others to look out for Richard, for Garfield, for Victor, for herself...for them all. But if Juliana had been given an order by the princess, there was nothing to be done. Furious, Kori took to cleaning again, ignoring everything else that came from Juliana's mouth. Kori imagined that the floor she scrubbed was the face of the princess, of Tara, of Juliana, of everyone who expected her to rest and watch her friends die around her.

She would do no such thing.

* * *

Tara waited at the top of the staircase impatiently, wondering when Garfield would come in from his work. She had to catch him quickly, state her intentions, and send him off, all in a matter of minutes so as to avoid being caught with him. It couldn't be much longer now, and Tara couldn't stand there waiting without arousing suspicion.

Her prayers were answered shortly; without warning, he was there, at the bottom of the stairs, speaking with Raven about something that Tara couldn't hear. Raven gave a small smile—it had been a long time since Tara had seen one of those—and retreated toward the back of the hall. She crept down the steps, watching Raven make her way down the stairs to the servants' quarters, thinking that it would probably be Raven's last down those steps. Tears flooded her vision before she blinked them back.

_You brought this upon yourself._

Those words in her head were no longer spoken with Raven's voice. They were spoken with her own, and that was enough to drive the tears away. Tara straightened her back, all formality in case anyone saw her, and made her way to the bottom of the staircase. Garfield started, beginning a deep bow at the waist and spewing out politeness before Tara lifted his chin with her hand. "Garfield?"

"Y-yes, Your Highness?" The nervous stutter would have made her laugh under other circumstances.

"I must speak with you. It is urgent."

He blinked stupidly, his eyes almost out of focus. "Huh?"

Tara sighed, a low, mournful sound, before dragging Garfield around a corner and out of sight. "I...have a confession, of sorts." She brushed a few loose strands of hair from her face as she spoke, her blue eyes meeting his green.

She wasn't sure what Garfield was expecting to hear, but his beet-red face gave her an idea. "Y-you do?"

"I..." No matter how much Tara tried, she couldn't outright state that she wasn't the princess, and chose instead to dodge that particular issue for the moment. "I have to run. Tonight."

"Run?" His voice was suddenly grave. "Why? Where will you go?" He seemed to remember who he was speaking to, and Garfield bowed his head. "Princess, I'm sorry for my questions, but you're betrothed."

Tara sighed, wanting to drag out the explanation as long as she could, but knowing that she didn't have the time, and couldn't take the risk of being heard. "Someone in the castle is out for my blood. I'm not safe here."

She watched his eyes closely, darting back and forth between her own, as if searching for the truth in them. "Our prince will protect you. Forgive me, but—"

"The prince could not protect me if he tried." _And if he knew who was out for me, he wouldn't try. _"I have no choice. I leave tonight."

"But...where...?"

Tara couldn't help noticing how sweet Garfield looked as he ran his fingers through his hair, gripping it tightly at the ends. Perhaps taking him with her would be okay. "As far as I can go." She took Garfield's hand, which he instinctively tried to pull from her grasp as he looked around wildly, and for good reason; Tara knew that a servant caught like this with _Tara _would get no more than a scolding, but a servant caught like this with the _princess_ was dead on his feet. Tara let him go, but he was focused on her alone now. "I will need someone to accompany me during my travels. I am requesting you."

Garfield was inexperienced, and undoubtedly afraid that he would do wrong, but in Tara's eyes, there was no one better. He was devoted to her, kind, with an unexpected tenderness to him for a rough stable boy. She liked him enough. In time, maybe...

His eyes were full of wonder, maybe even honor. "I...would be honored, Princess, but..." He looked overjoyed, gentle, and scared. "Are you sure that someone is here to...hurt you?"

If she was going to be honest, Tara thought that she may as well begin now. There was no choice to be made. "There is a girl in the castle. She is not here to hurt me, but she knows that once she is discovered, there will be others who will. She plans to see me away safely."

"Who are you..." He gasped. "Tara?!" Garfield screeched, incredulous, before realizing his mistake and covering his mouth.

It was the first time Tara had heard her own name used by someone who didn't know it was hers, and the sound of Garfield's sharp consonants when pronouncing it grated on her eardrums, made her heart ache. She was alone even while the boy stood an inch from her face.

"Not Tara," she breathed, praying that she was making the right decision. If he was going to travel with her, he would need to know who she was. "Princess Raven."

"She's the..." Garfield's eyes were wild, and then he blinked, all seriousness again. "Your Highness, you must be ill, I'll go get..."

"_No_." Tara gripped his arm with all her might, yanking him back to face her. "It's true."

"She did something, then," he huffed, his chest rising and falling at an alarming rate. "A spell, or, or something..."

Tara's hands began to shake; she hadn't expected him to _argue_. "She helped me. Her mother gave me the power to cast over earth and when the spell wore off, Raven cast it again. Look."

The spell was already wearing off; when Tara reached for the loose stones on the ground, they rose more slowly than they should have. She released them and reached out for him, her eyes glowing with power, but nothing moved. "I can't cast over anything else," she whispered, sobbing. "She can. She can cast over anything. People, animals, earth, objects..."

His face softened for an instant, and Tara knew he was starting to believe her. "I...so you..."

"_I'm_ Tara," she said, relieved. "She's..."

But the softness in Garfield's face had been replaced by a harsh expression, full of fury and hurt. "I have to go."

The loneliness Tara felt at his going was more intense than it should have been. It paralyzed her for a spell, until he was out of sight. When it faded, Tara ran back up to her chamber; she slammed the door behind her and let the sobs rack her body.

* * *

The warm breeze coming in through the window and the sunshine spilling into the room both seemed like good omens, and yet Garfield's world was cold and dark.

He didn't know which of the three of them he was most angry with. His princess—_not a princess_, he reminded himself, stubbornly—for all her sweet words and innocence, she had lied to them all. Tara confided the truth in him, and she wanted him with her. It was everything Garfield had wanted, and it felt so _wrong_. Dishonest. Insincere. He didn't even know if her request was genuine; did she need _him_, or did she need _someone_?

The other one, the true princess, was maddening enough as it was without adding this fiasco into the mix. Just when they'd finally reached an understanding, maybe even a friendship...that would be lost, Garfield realized suddenly, picturing Tara—no, _Raven_—bedecked in a princess's finery. A pit opened up in his stomach and he swore as unbidden into his mind came another image: his morning visits to the animals, now completed alone once again. He was forced to admit that his mornings would not be the same without her by his side, and for that, Garfield hated her.

As for himself...Garfield still wanted his princess. Even though Tara had been hateful, had committed a great crime, he was still drowning in her deep blue eyes. He couldn't blow it out, this flickering passion he carried for her; the worst of it was that Garfield wasn't sure he even wanted to.

When he opened the door to the servants' quarters, she was there, chanting slowly to herself by the window, and Garfield couldn't take it.

"Who are you?"

She opened one eye, lazily, and there was the barest hint of a smile in her voice. "I think that's been established."

Garfield actually growled at her playful tone, clenching his fists tightly. "I asked you a question."

"A question you know the answer to," the liar replied, as easily as if she'd told him that the sun had risen this morning. "But if you insist, I'm Ta—"

"No." He hadn't noticed that he was shaking until that moment. "You're not. Tara told me, you're—"

Cold hands like shadows enclosed themselves around his mouth and before Garfield had processed it, her face was inches from his, twisted in anger and fear. _She can cast over anything. _He knew who she was. "I need your word that you will not speak of this to anyone else."

The dark grip released him. "What?"

"I command you not to speak of this with anyone else."

"You can't _command _me to—"

"If you truly know who I am," Raven began desperately, "then you know that I can command you to do any number of things. I could _command_ you to drown yourself in the nearest pool. Or perhaps to take your secret to the farthest corners of the earth. I am choosing to _command_ you to protect yourself and Tara by keeping silent, and disobedience will cost you more than your favor with me."

The words were said in her same raspy voice, in the right pitch, but she'd changed. It wasn't as if she'd reverted back to a royal, authoritative tone; rather, it felt as if she'd hardly ever done it before, and Garfield pitied her even as his blood boiled. "When did she tell you?"

"No more than an hour ago," Garfield replied shortly. "We thought you were highborn. A mage."

Princess Raven snorted, but her eyes were questioning. "How did you come up with that?"

"The wind always picks up when you're around," Garfield said. _The shadows, on the other hand..._He cringed at the memory of the shadows wrapped around him, deathly cold. _Those are new. _"I guessed that you were a mage, and the others agreed."

A pause, then, "Why did she tell you?"

Garfield wasn't sure how to answer, primarily because he didn't know the answer himself. "She asked me to come with her."

"And?"

He stiffened. "And what?"

"Will you go?"

A flash of annoyance and, though it shamed him now, the sensation of fluttering wings behind his ribcage at the thought of himself and Tara travelling the kingdoms together. "I don't know." Raven's hand went to her own chest, and for some reason, that didn't sit well with Garfield. "I...I think I used to...I mean, I still do, have some lingering, uh..."

"You're infatuated with her." Raven's tone was matter-of-fact. "I could feel it."

Garfield felt the tips of his ears warming. Her eyes widened and she stared intently at her lap, color instantly flooding her face in a way that would have been comical if he weren't furious with her.

"You could _feel_ it?" Garfield's rage mixed with embarrassment at the thought of this girl being privy to his deep secret, and only intensified when he realized that Raven could probably feel his current emotions, too.

"I'm an empath," she mumbled, ashamed. "It's part of my...magic."

He was woozy all of a sudden. "You knew what she was, you knew how I felt, and you just let it all happen?"

"You're being unreasonable," Raven spat harshly. "It isn't my responsibility to—" The words died in her throat, and her expression became wistful, memory written across her face. Which memory, Garfield could not say. "Besides, you should be bounding and dancing your way around this castle. She's asking you to run away with her."

Garfield barely listened to her. He felt violated, like Raven had worn his skin around the castle, or sliced him open below his sternum and extended her unnaturally long fingers into his chest . He tried to look at her, but couldn't. "Why would you ever use magic like that? That's...that's _personal_! It's twisted!"

"I can't help using it." Raven's sudden flush of color disappeared, leaving a paleness even lighter than her usual complexion. "It's a curse. I try, but..."

Garfield froze. He'd forgotten. The princess's magic wasn't learned, or a gift; it was a curse, given by her mysterious father. Looking at Raven now, colorless and self-loathing, Garfield wondered how no one had discovered Tara's lie before. A cursed girl would never have had Tara's confidence, her smooth voice, her gentle laugh. If he hadn't been sure of Raven's identity before, there was no doubt now. The true princess, in all her broken, shameful glory, sat before him shaking.

He didn't know what possessed him to do it, but Garfield wrapped his arms around the princess as tightly as she would allow. She didn't reciprocate; he felt her entire body tense when he touched her, but he took it as a good sign that she hadn't submerged him in shadow again. After a few long moments, Garfield felt her relax slowly, in pieces, and he realized that Raven was _forcing_ herself to relax. He wasn't any less angry with her, but he bit back a laugh and was only half successful. The sound seemed to wake her up, and the moment was gone.

"I'm coming forward the moment that Tara is out of the castle," she said finally, pushing him away. "Once night falls. If you're going to help her, you need to make that decision now."

Garfield hesitated before answering, opened his mouth to speak, and then thought better of it and didn't answer at all. Without another word, the princess walked away from him, leaving confusion and dread in her wake.

* * *

Raise your hands if you thought Tara was going to try to get away with identity theft once again. lol you goofs. :)

Ravenandthefire: I understand that my Tara has frustrated a great many of you. However, I hope that by the end of the story, you at least won't _hate_ her. That hasn't been my goal here. I actually really like cartoon Terra!

TheInsaneAcrobat: You are a goof, and it makes me laugh. Your reviews are always cute! Thank you so much for the feedback!

Lilybud: The story won't be ending anytime soon! There is so much ahead of us...so. much.

Anna: I knowwwwww but I just love the cliffies. They are addicting.

K-chan's Kisses: Thank you!

CowabungaBooyakasha: Oh no! Stay safe and healthy. (unless that was a joke, in which case...stay awesome?) Thanks!

nikikuchan: Awwww *blushes* Thanks so much! I love writing this part of the story, I'm so excited that I've reached this point. No return!

Elsie: ;) Off the Fab Five? I love Kid Flash, and Speedy is just the best in the original cartoon. There's a moment in "Titans East" where he's introduced to Cyborg and he just says, "eh" and it kills me every time. The confrontations are a-coming!

sunshineg9: Cheaters never prosper. Also, asking Doofenschmirtz to build your time machine was your first mistake...hahaha but really he's so great that sometimes I can't handle it.

CrowdingCryingClouds: Thank you so much! I especially appreciate your characterization comment; when you take the Titans to an AU, instinct tells you to change everything. Really. Keeping them in character is hard!

Guest: Awww, thank you! :D


	16. Chapter 16: Confessions

**Chapter 16: Confessions**

Richard had exhausted his options for possible distractions.

In order to keep Kori calm and happy, only for her, he'd waited as long as he could. Hovering over as many of the servants as possible, even running errands below his station...but now he had no choice. There was nothing else standing between himself and the regent, barring the fears that Kori wouldn't voice when he was in earshot. She was angry, he knew, but he was the steward. Richard's words meant more than any of theirs.

He hoped she would forgive him.

Kori wasn't in the hall cleaning any more, as Richard thought that she would be. That struck him as odd; the hall was usually a disaster of mud and debris, and Kori wasn't one to take breaks, particularly with the wedding coming up. The floor was clean, though, cleaner than it had ever been. Richard shook off his suspicions and continued to the regent's quarters.

Richard found the regent in his study. "My lord?"

Lord Fantino looked up, but didn't seem surprised to see Richard waiting for him. "Yes, Richard, what is it?"

"My lord, I have important information for yourself and for the prince concerning the recent concealment of magic in the castle."

The regent nodded, but no shock registered in his expression; it was as if he'd expected this new development. Had they known? Had it all been an elaborate test of their loyalty? Richard's eyes flicked toward the door, wondering if he would need to escape quickly, but there was no guard waiting there.

"My lord, there is a new servant among our number, a girl by the name of Tara. I believe I have enough evidence to prove that she is the one behind this. I can't speak to her motives, but—"

"I am aware, Richard."

An unusual chill went through Richard's bones. "I'm sorry, my lord?"

Lord Fantino returned to his book, unperturbed. "Our head housekeeper, Kori, has already explained the details of the situation to me, though I am comforted by your confirmation of her statements."

"What?" Richard couldn't breathe. Kori wouldn't have done that. Not without telling him.

The room seemed to crash around his ears when the regent replied, "Kori has informed me of Tara's suspicious behavior, and elected to have an audience before the prince."

Everything seemed to move in slow motion, but Richard's shock paralyzed him and prevented him from acting. He wanted to take the regent by the wrists, get on his knees and beg him to keep Kori out of it, but his training kept his back straight and his feet planted firmly on the ground. For this, at least, he was thankful. The way forward was clear.

"I'll go in her place, my lord."

Lord Fantino shook his head. "You may not, Richard. Kori has already sworn an oath. The audience is tonight."

For the first time in many years, Richard wanted to cry. "Let me go with her, then. I'll swear as well." _Anything, anything, just please don't make her go before him alone, I know what he will do if he doesn't like what she has to say..._

The regent sighed, and there was something akin to pity in his face. "Kori feared that others might interfere with her testimony, and so pleaded for me to allow her to speak alone. With the prince's best interests at heart, I have chosen to honor this request."

_God damn it, she doesn't think we'll interfere, she thinks she can take the fall for the rest of us if things go wrong._ Kori was so docile, seemingly ready to allow him to take the lead with Tara and successfully fighting her own fear for them all. Richard knew she was distraught, but he thought she understood that it had to be him who told the prince. _Maybe she understood too well. _They knew the consequences, all of them, if they weren't believed, but Richard was willing to accept them if it meant that justice would be done. Kori, apparently, was not.

He should have seen it in the blazing look Kori had given him. Only one of them could be the protector, and neither of them intended to be protected. If he'd realized before...

"Please, my lord, she's only a woman. Do you honestly think you can take her word?" Richard pleaded, desperately. The words felt like ash in his mouth—Kori was one of the most intelligent, and apparently crafty, people he knew—but Richard would have said them a thousand times if they would change the regent's mind.

Unfortunately, Lord Fantino was unmoved. "Your coming forward has given me all of the confirmation I need. I will not have my decisions criticized by a steward, Richard. You would do well to remember your place."

Richard fought to keep down the bile rising in his throat.

_My place is at her side._

His lips betrayed him. "Yes, my lord."

* * *

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. Yes, I am."

Victor frowned. There was no way. "I mean, I know she's highborn, but are you sure she doesn't have, I don't know, some kind of identity issue, or..."

"I'm completely sure." To his credit, Garfield looked completely sure. "The so-called 'princess' told me the same thing. It's true."

"So...Princess Raven is Tara, and Tara is Princess Raven."

"Yes."

It still didn't work out in Victor's head. "What about the magic the princess did when she first got here?"

"Which princess? The fake one or the real one?"

"Tara."

"That doesn't help. Our Tara or the real Tara?"

Victor rubbed his temples. "_The blonde_."

Garfield flushed. "Oh. Raven...the real princess, her mother gave Tara that magic. It was only supposed to be temporary, I think."

There was no snappy comeback waiting in his brain; Victor was utterly stunned. He could see that Garfield was searching for something in his face, but Victor had nothing to offer. How could he? The story was outrageous, unbelievable, but Garfield had told it with such earnestness that Victor couldn't find a reason to contradict it.

"She's going to run," Garfield continued, "tonight. Before the real princess reveals herself. Raven ordered me not to tell, and I tried, but I only told you because...Tara...asked me to go with her." Garfield sighed. "I don't know whether I should or not."

That would not do. "Go with her? And leave the kingdom? No."

"I know it sounds weird, Victor, but...I think she just needs someone, and if I helped her, she could—"

"I don't care what she needs, Garfield. I'm not letting you be the one to give it to her. She can go on her own, royalty or not," Victor concluded, making sure to keep his face straight so that Garfield knew he was serious.

Garfield seemed to take the hint, but he looked sullen. "The real princess was trying to keep her safe. You should have seen her when she realized I knew, she..." The boy shuddered. "I just wanted to help."

"I'm not sure that either of them need your help."

The boy had told some inspired tales before, but Victor had to admit that this one was so wild that it most likely had to be true. All of the pieces fit well enough, he supposed, but if Garfield was wrong, it meant that his head would soon be rolling through the streets of Nol. Victor instinctively ruffled the boy's hair, willing the gruesome image to leave his mind. "First we're worried that you'll get in trouble for trying to protect the blonde, now I'm worried you'll get in trouble for protecting the blonde _and_ our little mage. You just can't stay out of trouble, can you?"

Garfield chuckled, the sound unusually hollow. It brought a lump into Victor's throat. "I guess not. The real Raven is coming forward tonight. I think I should at least go, offer Tara's testimony once she's escaped, you know?"

Victor rolled his eyes, but he knew Garfield was being honest. No matter what would happen to Garfield, Victor had no intention of allowing him to take it on alone. "Then I'll go with you."

Garfield grinned. "Thanks, Victor."

"Don't get too excited," warned Victor. "If you've been lied to, and the fake princess turns out to be the real princess, I'm going to make sure they behead you first."

* * *

The darkness building outside the castle told Raven that Tara's time was nearly up. She wondered if the "princess's" extra day had been worth it, though she couldn't see how that was possible. The girl must have been scared out of her mind, at least, if she had any sense. Sighing, Raven forced her gaze away from the window and proceeded to make her way up the steps.

She prayed that it would be quick, that Tara would be fully prepared to leave and that she would be out of the castle in a matter of minutes. Every second that she remained was another second that Raven had to force herself to hide, and the whispers among the servants—at least, those that caught her ears—seemed to indicate that she hadn't done a very good job. That she could blame fairly easily on Garfield's loose lips. Anyone else would have been too terrified of her power to speak; it had been just Raven's luck that the one boy fool enough to tell his friends about "the wind picking up" was the boy who'd found her, and claimed her as his apprentice.

Garfield was a completely different problem. Tara wasn't used to living out in the world, and having Garfield with her would surely keep her safer, but Raven wasn't sure that she wanted him to go. Not because it wasn't a good idea, nor because she bore any ill will toward Tara, or hopes that she would not succeed...it was simply that, to Raven's great embarrassment, imagining herself in the castle without her closest friend was unfathomable. It shouldn't matter, anyway. Once Raven revealed herself to be the true princess, she would only see him in passing, if that. And if Prince Malchior didn't want to marry this new princess...Raven wouldn't see him at all.

She supposed she'd find out what the rest of her life would look like once she got to Tara's chamber.

When Raven saw Juliana waiting outside of Tara's chamber, wearing concern across her features, Raven's heart dropped into her stomach. Something was wrong; the feeling was bursting from Juliana's chest, hammering into her own. "Juliana?"

The pale girl whirled around, and at an alarming speed comparable to that of the messenger she loved, ran over to the princess. "Princess, she's not here, I can't find her anywhere..."

_No. _Raven reached out, trying to sense Tara's presence and coming up with nothing. The roaring panic within her would not be quelled. "What do you mean, she's not here?"

"I can't find her," Juliana repeated, her eyes wide. "Anyway, there's nothing you can do now, the guards are looking for you."

"For _me_?"

"Kori told the regent that you've been concealing your magic from the prince, Your Highness, and she has an audience with him this evening. The guards have been sent to collect you and bring you to Prince Malchior to explain yourself."

She'd expected something like this, she and Tara had taken too long, but she hadn't expected Tara to be _gone_. If she was with the prince right now, it would have all been for nothing, Raven had failed...

Juliana broke her reverie with a small gasp, and without turning to look, Raven could feel the presence of two castle guards rounding the corner to where they stood. On instinct, Raven nearly transported herself away to find Tara, but if the guards saw the two of them disappear, she would practically be executing Juliana herself, as well as throwing unwanted suspicion on Tara before they were ready for it if Juliana was caught. Instead, Raven stood her ground and lowered her voice.

"Find Garfield," Raven whispered, not wanting anyone to hear of his involvement. "Juliana, find Garfield, now, and look for Tara. When you find her..." _When, when, I can't afford to think in terms of "if." _"When you find her, tell Garfield that I need him to help her no matter what." Raven could hardly believe what she was saying, but it was the only way to protect her now.

Juliana blinked. "Help her?"

"He'll know what I mean."

In an instant, Raven felt herself being spun about by one of the castle guards; at his touch, Raven felt drained. _They're preventing me from using magic to get away._Their armor must have been enchanted, but there was no time to dwell on it. "You're to come with us, Tara," said the other guard gruffly. "You have been accused of concealing secrets from His Royal Highness Prince Malchior of Nol, an unforgivable treason. You are to stand before him and await suitable judgment."

"You knew nothing of this, girl?" asked the other, his eyes on Juliana.

Juliana bowed her head. "No, sir."

Mercifully, Juliana was spared, forced to stand aside, and when Raven turned her head to look back, Juliana was gone. Raven tried to calm herself, slowly muttering her mantra.

For the first time in her life, her blood refused to cool at the words.

* * *

Moonlite Silence: Thanks! You got Victor's discovery in this chapter...the rest will find out soon enough. muahaha

Soulfulbard: Thank you! I love them too. :D Here's hoping its impending resolution is equally satisfying.

K-chan's Kisses: OH MAN. Thanks so much! :)

Lilybud: You're welcome! Sorry they have been taking forever, but I PROMISE they will get done. As for the Gar/Raven/Tara thing...no spoilers. :D

Anna: Thank you!

CrowdingCryingClouds: CAN I JUST TELL YOU THAT THE SONG YOU TOLD ME ABOUT IS PERFECT? Thanks so much!

Ravenandthefire: You don't have to like her. Actually, the fact that you hate her in this story told me a lot about the way I was writing her, and how her actions have been perceived! Maybe it's just difficult because I've got the resolution in my brain and y'all don't. Thank you!

BBxRae forever: Thanks!

sunshineg9: I've heard that opinion before, and totally understand it. I think it's hard to call animated Terra one of the core Titans, but she was definitely very important (and her arc was very well written, at least to me) Thanks!

Elsie: SO much messiness! Who's going to clean this up? (oh wait...I have to lol) Thank you so much!

CowabungaBooyakasha: But if he doesn't, now he'll be disobeying Raven...hahahahaha I am literally so mean to you guys. I'm so sorry. :D Thank you!

elixxxrAngel: Another reader I am being mean to. Thanks for being so trusting even when I am cruel!


	17. Chapter 17: Playing the Hero

Guys, I know I'm late and I suck, BUT! I tried to give you a longer chapter to make up for it. Here you go! :) No replies in the chapter this time...I want this one to speak for itself and not be broken by the replies. I WILL be responding to all reviews given by logged-in users via the Reply button in the next couple of days. There is a LOT of me in this chapter, much more than I expected there to be.

For those of you who do not follow my Tumblr, there is a post there (under the tag "latestfics") that explains my recent decision not to have weekly chapter updates, which you may or may not be aware of. Feel free to read it if you are curious; the link to my Tumblr is on my profile. I honestly love you all for your patience and understanding. Enjoy, my readers! 3

* * *

**Chapter 17: Playing the Hero**

Not a moment after the guards had taken the princess away, Juliana set off on her mission without looking back. Princess Raven's orders were hard enough to follow without making herself look suspicious. She had no idea why she was going to find Garfield, of all people—she supposed he must have found out the truth as well, he'd been so close to Raven—but the princess had been clear about the message she was supposed to deliver. He was to assist Tara, get her out of the castle, accompany her out of the kingdom; anything that needed to be done to save her was now up to him. _No matter what._

Corridor after corridor and she still hadn't seen any guards. Most of them were probably dealing with Raven, or preparing for the prince's audience with Kori. That thought made her blood run cold. Kori was the most honest, kind person currently in the castle, about to stand before her polar opposite and tell him what she believed to be the truth. As long as Raven revealed herself, everything would be fine, Kori would be fine, she would have done everything she could have...

They were walking together, toward her, toward the prince's chambers. It was too lucky to be real. Juliana hesitated, only for a moment, before running to stop them. "Garfield, Victor!"

"Juliana?" Garfield looked puzzled. "What's going on?"

"Princess Raven sent me." Her hands were shaking; why were her hands shaking? "She said that you need to help her. No matter what."

Garfield's eyes bulged, but he made no rush to obey, apparently choosing instead to gape at her. "Uh, I'm sorry, help who?"

Juliana frowned. "Tara. She needs you to help Tara."

Victor raised an eyebrow and looked down at his friend. Garfield's focus darted back and forth between Juliana's eyes; he was searching for something in them, and Juliana didn't have the energy to wait for him to find it.

"I know the truth," said Juliana impatiently. "She needs you to help Tara. The true Tara."

The color drained from his face. "You know? But, how..." He started, the jump coming from a jolt of energy that seemed to begin in his chest. "Has it happened already? Is she...oh God, I need to—"

"What you need is to come with me." Sometimes, Garfield could be incredibly dense. "Nothing has happened yet. I found out days ago. I probably knew before you did. I tend to the princess, remember?"

"So does Karen," Victor replied, his tone dipping into defensiveness. Under normal circumstances, Juliana would have teased, but there wasn't time.

"Yeah, well, I got lucky." She thought of Wallace, wondering what he would do if he knew what she was doing, what she had been going through. He could have spirited Tara away in a heartbeat, but he was too close to Prince Malchior, and Juliana wouldn't put him in that kind of danger. No matter how brave he was, or capable, Juliana couldn't forget the worry in his voice when he'd revealed that he'd fallen out of favor with the prince for some unknown reason. She wouldn't involve him, mostly because he would assist in a heartbeat.

Garfield was the same way, but Garfield was the animal tender, not the prince's trusted messenger. Choices had to be made, and he'd been chosen.

"Where is she?" asked Victor. "Tara. Has she disappeared yet?"

Juliana sighed. "That's the problem. She disappeared a little too early, and we can't find her."

"You can't find her?" Garfield was close to tears, though Juliana didn't know why. "What if she's in trouble? We have to find her..."

Juliana nodded, grateful that she hadn't had to explain the gravity of the situation to him, but as they turned to search the castle, she noticed that Garfield had stopped cold. Victor's hand was around his upper arm, gripping it tightly.

"He's not getting involved," Victor said sharply, his stare suddenly icy. "And neither should you, Jules. I'm tired of watching these two girls cause trouble and expect other people to pick up the pieces." He turned his attention to Garfield. "Gar...these two are hurting you, and I've had enough of it. Jules, you can do whatever you want, but Gar's staying out of it."

"We're under orders!" Juliana realized that she was nearly shouting, and tried to contain herself. "Do you honestly expect us to disobey the princess?"

Victor rolled his eyes. "Who even knows who the princess is anymore? They both said they were the real princess. Hell, maybe I'm the princess. Would you two do anything I said just because I declared I'm the princess? Fine. I'm the princess, and I say you can't go. You're _under orders_."

"That's treason, Vic," Juliana said softly, looking to Garfield for support. His expression was unreadable.

"She's not our princess yet. She's _his._Until the wedding, your disobedience isn't _treason_." Victor didn't look like he would be changing his mind any time soon. Juliana could hardly speak. She didn't think that the princess would be angry with them as much as she would be devastated; Tara was important to her, for whatever reason. If Victor wouldn't let Garfield go, the girl would have to run by herself, and she wouldn't last a day outside the castle. Prince Malchior would send his soldiers and she would be dead by nightfall...

"Vic."

Garfield had finally spoken, his voice wavering slightly as he looked his best friend in the eyes. "Vic , I can't let her go alone."

Victor's face fell. "Garfield, this is no time to play the hero. She can handle herself."

"She can't."

"We talked about this, Gar," Victor began slowly, his eyes never leaving Garfield's. "We're going to support Kori. And the princess, I suppose. We're not smuggling some impostor out of the castle."

Garfield swallowed. "If she's captured, and she's executed, I won't be able to..." He ran his fingers through his hair and tried to start again. "It won't be quick, Victor. He'll hurt her."

"There's nothing that we can do about that..."

"There is!" Garfield became fierce, wild. "Victor, even _Princess Raven_ doesn't want Tara to die! Why do you?"

The older boy froze, evidently shocked, and then suddenly gripped Garfield's shoulders with so much force that Juliana half-thought that Victor was going to tear him apart. "I don't want anyone to die, Garfield! I don't want you to die! If she goes alone and gets caught, then we lose her. I know you can't lose her. But if you join her and she gets captured, then we lose her _and_ you, and I can't lose you."

Juliana saw something forming in Victor's eyes and politely looked away.

"I can do this," she heard Garfield reply. "I have to. They both need me."

She didn't hear anyone move, but finally, Victor said, "Be careful,Gar."

There was silence for a long time, and Juliana came close to breaking them apart, but when she looked up again, Victor was gone, and Garfield, though shaken, looked determined.

They set off without another word.

* * *

Kori knew she was doomed because Richard wouldn't look at her.

They'd been sitting in silence for what felt like hours, waiting for her testimony to begin in a room off of the prince's chambers. He was angry; he would stare pointedly at the same spot, then start tapping his fingers on the wooden chair he occupied, switching the positioning of his feet as he did so and leaning forward, sighing. After watching him for far too long, Kori said, "You are unhappy."

Richard didn't reply, but his head tilted slightly toward her. He was at least listening.

"Richard..."

"Why did you do this, Kori?"

She jumped; she hadn't been expecting any kind of response for quite some time. "Why did I come forward with information? It was the right thing to do. This is something we have previously discussed."

But Richard was shaking his head, his fingers pressing on his skull. "You've put yourself into a dangerous position. It was reckless."

"Reckless?" Kori wished that she could force him to turn his head and look at her; the disconnect between them was frustrating. "Forgive me, Richard, but I must disagree. I thought over my course of action most carefully before proceeding."

"Did you? Did you think about the things that our prince will do to you if he doesn't believe your story?" His face was red, but he seemed to be able to maintain some level of composure. "What about possible retaliation from Tara? What if he isn't threatened by her concealing magic, and she goes after you the moment she has the chance? Even if neither one of them decide to hurt you physically, you could be removed from your position as head housekeeper, or cast out of the castle altogether."

"I considered all of these options, Richard. I am not so naive."

"You couldn't have," he spat, and his tone stung even more than his words. "If you had, you wouldn't have done it. You would have left this to me."

Kori would not cry, not now. Richard needed to understand. "After considering all of the risks involved, you truly believe that I would have been so cruel as to leave this task to someone else? To _you_?" She hadn't intended to speak with such anger, but the emotion was pouring out of her faster than she could reel it back in.

"_No_!" Richard was finally looking at her, finally, and the fire in his eyes mirrored her own. "I didn't think you would be cruel, it's about being responsible, Kori, and keeping yourself safe, you weren't supposed to decide to play the hero—"

"And who will keep you safe?" she replied, fighting to keep her voice down.

Richard paused, breathing slowly, before continuing. "I didn't expect for you to do this," he said finally, dodging her question like a stray arrow. "I expected you to let me handle it."

"You expected me to watch them hurt you," Kori whispered, and she knew as she spoke that she was close to breaking. "All of you. You, Garfield, Victor, Juliana, Karen, even Tara...you told me what was wrong and you burdened me with this knowledge but you expected me to do the ignoring of it. To be quiet and listen, and allow you to 'handle it' by putting yourselves in the way of harm."

Richard looked furious, but he didn't have the words to articulate it. His face was etched with fear and self-hatred, and Kori knew that she had guessed right; Richard simply hadn't anticipated her response to the situation. The pieces finally fit. He wasn't angry because she had acted...

"You are angry because you were wrong," Kori breathed, gently reaching out to stroke his hair.

"I can't watch you get hurt, Kori." Kori's breath hitched at the same time that Richard's did. "Any of you," he added hastily, flushing scarlet, but the damage was done.

Cautiously, as if Richard were a wild animal who might flee at any second, Kori let her right hand brush against his cheek, softly caressing him and reveling in the surprisingly smooth feeling of his skin. She never took her eyes off of his, not even for a moment, as she crept forward. He was the same Richard to any other onlooker, but Kori could feel his concern, saw it reflected in his clear blue eyes. There was a tenderness hidden away somewhere, fighting to reach the surface. So much was to be seen in him that Kori feared that she couldn't have looked away if she tried. She did not close her eyes even when she could feel his warm breath on her lips and the tips of their noses touching gently; she did not dare to give him the chance to run away.

"And I cannot watch you be hurt," she finally answered, softly. "I will not allow it. That is how I know that I will be safe."

When the tension left his shoulders, when his hands reached and twisted in her hair, when the rise and fall of his chest quickened, when his lips met hers and filled her, body and soul, with warmth and a joy that threatened to lift her off of the ground, Kori let her eyelids flutter closed.

* * *

She heard them before she saw them, and didn't even bother to turn around when they came within earshot. Tara kept her place by the creek, half expecting to see a blood-stained handkerchief float by. She saw herself living as a lady in the palace, at Raven's side, maybe finding a husband of her own and...but Tara had taken the handkerchief, and the vision left as quickly as it began.

"What are you doing out here?" Garfield's voice was even and calm, but when she thought of his face, all she could remember was his anger when he'd learned the truth.

"I just...needed fresh air."

"You were supposed to be in your room," Juliana hissed, coming into Tara's field of vision, and Tara could taste her disgust. Would none of them forgive her, then? It didn't matter; she'd expected nothing less. "Princess Raven was afraid you were with the prince."

Tara scowled down at her reflection. "I didn't speak with him the whole day. I couldn't do it," she whispered. She had tried, but every time she looked at Prince Malchior, Tara balked and ran, or held her tongue. If Tara had behaved like she was leaving, he would have known, but her churning stomach prevented her from behaving as if nothing were amiss. There would be no semblance of closure for their false relationship, and Tara almost felt as if it were better that way. She'd had enough of lying.

Juliana snorted. "How noble of you." She turned to Garfield expectantly. "Are you planning on taking her before or after her execution? The way you're stalling, I'm not sure."

At the sound of Tara's wince, he shot Juliana a glare that would have made Raven proud. Shyly, Garfield led the two horses closer to Tara, both of whom seemed surprisingly calm for having their routines so thoroughly jarred. "I'll be taking Dreamer, he's a bit of a handful," he began, patting the chestnut stallion on his left. "Lady is all yours."

The dark, well-groomed mare sniffed at Tara's hands, as if wondering where the mysterious girl kept her treats, and Garfield tugged gently on her reins to stop her. "She's a little needy," he added, somehow able to laugh even in the midst of this nightmare. It made Tara sad more than it cheered her up. He was trying so hard.

Her hand refused to reach for the reins; instead, Tara stood stone still. "I have to stay."

Garfield's eyes widened, but it was Juliana who spoke first. "What?" she cried indignantly. "What do you mean, you have to stay? You have to _go_! We're under orders—"

That was what she'd been waiting for. Her heart sank. Garfield hadn't just changed his mind, hadn't decided he wanted to go after all; he was doing it because Raven had told him to do it. Tara wasn't worth the risk he took unless he had no other choice. He'd only loved her when he thought she was someone else, and so had the other one, the prince; it didn't seem to matter who she was, she was disappointing someone. Tears stung at her eyes, she fell to her knees, and it was stupid, stupid, _stupid, _she should have known, she should have seen, she was hollow, worthless, empty, lonely useless pathetic a waste nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing

She became dimly aware of someone's strong hands lifting her up off of the ground, but her vision was blurred by her tears. She shook violently; her hands couldn't move fast enough to catch the droplets streaming down her cheeks, and Tara shook her head, feeling some of the drops fall. "I can't," she muttered, only realizing afterward that she'd said it many times already. "I have to stay." It was the only way, the only thing to do to prove to the others and herself that she could do something right.

Juliana looked as though she were seeing Tara for the first time. "You can't go playing the hero now," she said sternly, "it's too late for that."

"It _isn't_," she shouted back, but she was so exhausted that her lungs could hardly provide the breath support for the sound, and she hiccoughed loudly.

"I'll talk to her, Juliana. You go inside. Someone will notice you're gone."

"They'll notice you're gone, too."

Garfield laughed nervously, close to Tara's right ear. "I would hope so. At least one of you should miss me."

Juliana opened her mouth to argue, but closed it, and walked past Tara and Garfield without another word. The blond boy walked around to face Tara, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.

"Tara, you're not safe here," Garfield sighed, cupping her face in his hands. "We all know what you did was wrong, but no one wants you to die for it. _Raven _doesn't want you to die for it." He backed away, slowly, and took Dreamer's reins. "I don't want you to die for it, Tara. We have to go."

What could Tara say? That she was planning on staying, even though it would cost her life? That everyone had been right about her, that there was no point in hiding it any longer? That Raven and the prince deserved justice? That she was finally going to do the right thing, and that he would be wrong to stop her? The words wouldn't come at her call. Instead, she prayed for his trust and stood tall, for all the world a princess.

"No."

Tara saw Garfield's pupils dilate, and his eyebrows twitch toward his bangs. The muscles in his neck became tense as his breathing quickened. Garfield flinched at her words, the slightest bit, as if she'd slapped him. She watched the conflict in his face grow, watched his eyes filled with tears. Tara even saw the most imperceptible of nods, to someone over her shoulder.

The only thing she did not see was Juliana's hand as it came crashing down on the back of her skull.


End file.
